The Delta State government of Nigeria has saluted Heritage Bank for its unbeatable support towards economically empowering vulnerable and poor women across the State.
The State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, disclosed this while delivering the keynote address at the 4th Phase of the Women Empowerment Skill Acquisition Programme (WESAP) in Asaba, Delta State recently, noted that the bank has been instrumental in his government’s plan towards women empowerment.
Okowa, who his wife, Dame Edith Okowa, represented, hinted that the State Ministry of Women Affairs had empowered over 1,460 women across 25 local government areas in different phases from 2020 to date.
He said this includes the 325 beneficiaries equipped with tools at the event after intensive training to perfect their skills, lift them out of poverty, and enhance their participation in the economy.
“Empowering our womenfolk is an integral part of this administration’s economic policies, prioritising the poor and vulnerable. Since we came on board in May 2015, he stated that we have undertaken several measures through the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Social Development to lift our women out of poverty and enhance their participation in the economy,” he stated.
He also decried the marginalisation of women, especially in politics and the economic sector, whilst stating that women remain indispensable vehicles for creating wealth, boosting the economy, and building more stable families in their multiple roles as mothers and community leaders.
In her earlier message of goodwill, Osepiribo Ben-Willie, executive director of Heritage Bank, praised Senator Okowa for intentionally promoting the empowerment of women by providing them with various skills and starter kits and supporting petty traders’ businesses with cash and grants, giving them the ability to provide for the welfare of their families, contribute to the economic development of the State, and ultimately raise their standard of living.
Ben-Willie confirmed that Heritage Bank has been at the forefront of promoting financial literacy and inclusion, which informed their interaction with the beneficiaries of WESAP to give them the necessary skills to make the
Whilst encouraging the WESAP beneficiaries to put the seed into use to yield more investments, Ben-Willie promised that Heritage Bank would continue to lend support to causes that promote women’s empowerment, as this will positively impact the nation’s socio-economic development.
The commissioner of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Social Development, Mrs Flora Alatan, urged the 325 beneficiaries of WESAP not to misuse the opportunity availed to them by the State government to become better entrepreneurs and improve their livelihoods.
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