Source: Champion Newspapers

Nigerian Women Trust Fund, an initiative of the Federal Government setup to give technical and financial support to women aspiring for various elective positions in the country irrespective of their political party affiliations has been

registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission as an independent Company limited by Guarantee (GTE).

Coming barely four months of its takeoff, the Fund has an Advisory Board, a Board of Directors as well as Goodwill Ambassadors- all put together to ensure transparency, accountability and credibility in the execution of its mandate.

This was disclosed in Abuja by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Alhaji Idris Kuta at the inaugural meeting of the Steering Committee for the Development of a National Strategy for Women's Political Empowerment in Nigeria.

It would be recalled that the Fund was inaugurated in March 2011 with N100million "seed money" from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Office to raise the capacity of vying women politicians.

The permanent secretary explained that in order to make the Fund a credible institution to which members of the public can equally contribute resources, the Fund is now managed by an independent Technical Management Team having the wife of the Ekiti State Governor, (Chief) Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, as the Chairman of its Executive Board.

He stressed the need for the Fund to be actively involved in the strategic alliance of stakeholders in the development of a workable national strategy that will improve women participation in politics and governance.

This, he said, is in view of the impending Local Government Elections which is considered critical to the advancement of women and the important role they are to play in our national development.

Idris urged the Executive Board of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund to spear-head action in the area of collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and other stakeholders, for the attainment of its objectives and the empowerment of Nigerian women to take their pride of place in the national scheme of things.

• Nigeria