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U.N Lauds Dangote Women, Harps on Gender Roles for Global Economic Recovery

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The United Nations has underlined the need for governments all over the world to put women and girls at the center of their efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world, as the panacea for economic recovery.

This call was made by the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, Amina Mohammed, while speaking at a Dangote Women’s Network (DWN) webinar titled: ‘Choosing to Challenge for a Win-Win: Overcoming Challenges in a Gender-Biased World’, to commemorate the International Women’s Day, which is marked in March every year.

During a virtual video call from the UN Headquarters in New York, Ms. Mohammed, who was the main Speaker at the DWN Webinar, said gender equality and women’s rights are essential to getting through the pandemic, recovering faster, and building a better future for the world.

Besides, President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, in his welcome remarks at the event, reiterated commitment to the empowerment of all categories of women, saying this was a top priority of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), the philanthropic arm of the Group.

The UN Chief, in her presentation, said putting women and girls at the centre of any economic recovery plan would fundamentally drive better and more sustainable development outcomes for all, support more rapid recovery, and place the world back on a footing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Everything we do during and after the COVID-19 crisis must aim to build more equal, inclusive, and sustainable economies and societies. This is perhaps the clearest lesson emerging from the pandemic. This includes gender-responsive economic and social policies and placing women’s economic lives at the heart of the pandemic response and recovery plans,” she insisted.

Mohammed, who said the COVID-19 pandemic is deepening the already existing gender inequalities and vulnerabilities in the social, political, and economic systems, insisted that there is a need for governments around the world to take urgent steps to protect women and expand support services that would reduce the impact of the pandemic on them.

She said recovering better requires drawing lessons from the current pandemic to support and bolster economic recovery across the globe, and stressed the need to invest in the energy transition, connectivity transition, empowerment, and sustainable infrastructure, to enable the world to bounce back better from the current socio-economic crisis.

The UN Deputy Sec-Gen also commended the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote for his contribution through social and economic investment in women and in other sectors of the economy. “Let me begin by thanking my brother, Aliko Dangote’s support not just in advocacy, he has put his actions and investment in women. You can see that in the work he does in the Aliko Dangote Foundation, in the group and in the spaces he occupies.”

In his additional remarks, Dangote stated that women’s empowerment would enable them to play important roles in supporting a sustainable future in society and the entire world.

According to him, the Dangote Group, through ADF, has been fully engaged in women empowerment through the provision of nutrition to women and children as well as education of girl child. “This is a testament of our unrelenting efforts to promote the development of the girl-child and ultimately the empowerment of women, not only within the Dangote Group but also within our communities and the nation at large,” he added.

Speaking further, Mohammed said that about 50 percent of working women lost their jobs during the COVID-19 lockdown, saying the situation is even worse in the informal economy where jobs are neither legally regulated nor protected.

“During the year, as we tried to address the lockdown and health crises, which really fell on the shoulders of women, we also had to deal with a double effect of the social-economic impact. We found that women were most hit in the formal sector where we have only 39 percent of the global workforce. In the process, 50 percent of women have lost their jobs. So, it was real double trouble for women,” she stated.

Mohammed said the UN was doing everything possible to ensure women are given the right they deserve. “The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which is the principal global intergovernmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women starts next week. Member States will come together to try to push forward the issues of women, their rights, and the progress we have made on the various resolutions and the framework that we had since Beijing,” she noted.

BIG STORY

UK To Reduce Voting Age To 16 In General Elections

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The British government announced on Thursday its intention to grant voting rights in general elections to 16- and 17-year-olds, marking a significant shift that would place the UK among countries with the lowest voting age globally.

This move stems from a commitment made by the ruling Labour Party before gaining power last year, and is part of a broader set of proposed reforms to the democratic process, which some have described as “in crisis” due to issues like low voter turnout.

The proposal is expected to spark debate, as opponents argue it could be politically motivated, with younger voters perceived as more inclined to favour the centre-left Labour party.

“I think it’s really important that 16- and 17-year-olds have the vote, because they are old enough to go out to work, they are old enough to pay taxes, so (they) pay in,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

“And I think if you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on, which way the government should go,” Starmer added.

To implement the change, the government will need to present legislation in parliament, where it holds a solid majority.

Globally, only a few countries allow citizens as young as 16 to vote in national elections, according to online sources.

These include Austria — the first EU member to reduce its voting age to 16 in 2007 — along with Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Cuba.

Labour ministers argue the reform is designed to “modernise our democracy” and increase participation, while also matching the voting age already used in elections for devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales.

Other planned reforms include the adoption of automated voter registration — a system already in place in Australia and Canada — and allowing UK-issued bank cards to be accepted as valid ID at polling stations.

These proposals come after the former Conservative government implemented laws requiring voters to present photo identification, which the Electoral Commission reported resulted in around 750,000 people being unable to vote in last year’s election.

Harry Quilter-Pinner, executive director of the Institute For Public Policy Research, described the proposals as “the biggest reform to our electoral system since 1969”, when the voting age was reduced to 18.

He estimated that lowering the voting age and introducing automated registration could add as many as 9.5 million new voters.

“Our democracy is in crisis, and we risk reaching a tipping point where politics loses its legitimacy,” he said, expressing his support for the proposed changes.

 

Credit: AFP

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BIG STORY

It’s Better For Anyone Holding PDP Down To Quit — Gov. Makinde On Atiku’s Exit

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Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, has said that the departure of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not impact the party’s position.

Abubakar left the PDP on July 14, stating that the party has deviated from its founding principles.

The party, which serves as the main opposition, has been experiencing internal conflict since the 2023 presidential election.

Speaking on Wednesday during the 10th coronation anniversary colloquium of Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade, the Deji of Akure, Makinde said Atiku’s departure will not weaken the PDP’s foundation or momentum.

The governor noted that the PDP would be in a stronger position if those hindering its progress step aside.

“Politics is a game of interest. I don’t think his exit will make any dent on PDP as a party,” Makinde said.

“PDP is an institution. We have freedom of entrance and exit. Anyone who holds PDP down, it is better for such an individual to quit.”

Speculation continues to grow that Makinde may enter the 2027 presidential race.

Abubakar, who is also seeking the presidency, has aligned himself with the opposition coalition to advance his ambition.

Addressing the move by some opposition politicians to adopt the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 elections, Makinde said the coalition does not pose a threat to the PDP.

“I don’t see ADC as a threat to PDP. The goal is about the same. If you are not happy about the tempo and pace of governance, you are free to associate and see what can be done,” he said.

“But one thing we must all realise is that players will come and go, governors will come and go, presidents will come and go, but our state and country will remain.”

Makinde emphasized that traditional institutions are essential to good governance, conflict resolution, and community development.

“Too often, traditional institutions are misunderstood. Some imagine frail old men who have outlived their relevance,” he said.

“Others view them as mere instruments of political endorsement. That mindset must change.

“Traditional institutions are not relics of the past. They are enduring pillars of identity, legitimacy, and communal cohesion.

“Long before Nigeria’s formal administrative systems took root, traditional rulers dispensed justice, upheld values, coordinated local security, and kept communities united.

“Reforming legal frameworks to provide clarity on the roles, rights, and recognition of traditional councils and strengthening our security architecture to formalise community policing strategies rooted in traditional structures.”

Makinde said traditional institutions continue to be the custodians of the grassroots and warned that excluding them from nation-building would be a mistake.

“No wonder politicians continue to seek their blessings and validation,” he added.

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BIG STORY

RCCG Pastor Absconds With $8000 Church Money, Abandons Wife, Marries New One

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A pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God has reportedly fled with “$8,000” in church funds, left his wife behind, and married another woman.

Pastor Folu Adeboye, wife of the General Overseer, Worldwide, of the RCCG, disclosed this while speaking at a men’s programme.

She explained in a video monitored by Church Times that the pastor was given the money for mission work in South Africa but instead abandoned his wife and relocated to the United States, where he married someone else.

Adeboye said the incident happened during a visit to Cape Town, South Africa, where she preached at the RCCG parish led by the pastor. The church service was held in a rented space at an eatery.

While she was ministering, a woman entered and began packing chairs, apparently indicating their allotted time was over. Surprised by this, Adeboye asked the pastor what it would cost to get a permanent site.

The pastor, who she said hails from Ekiti State, suggested that “$8,000” would allow them to begin the process by purchasing a used vehicle. He proposed giving the vehicle to a tourism agency to generate returns for acquiring a permanent church building.

Encouraged by the idea, Adeboye gave him the money.

However, the pastor had other plans. After receiving the funds, he travelled to the United States and left his wife behind in South Africa.

She noted that the abandoned woman is now in a distressed state, nearly “running mad.”

Church Times quoted Pastor Adeboye as saying: “RCCG men, what are we going to do? Are we going to continue with such a lying spirit, a deceitful spirit to the God of the kingdom?”

She stressed the need to return to core values of faith and truthfulness. Recalling past hardships, she said: “We must get to the point where we say wherever He leads, we follow. We were in this bush. For three years, there was no light. We went back to the days of the lantern and we were grinding with stone, whereas where we were coming from we had grinding machines, we had washing machines.”

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