Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy Ohanenye | File Image
‘We want every community to get involved in this. So you can imagine, it sounds impossible, but it’s doable’
By Stella Woke
The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs is targeting 15 million metric tonnes of fish yearly from Nigerian farmers especially women who it supported with required equipment to succeed.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, who stated this in Abuja, also reeled out the distribution of cassava, rice and fish pond processing machines to women in various communities across the country to support and increase food production as well as enhance export.
The minister, who assured that she would assist and empower women, further disclosed that Benue State has started running with the empowerment scheme.
She said though findings indicated that Nigeria required two million tonnes of fish annually, her ministry was going the extra mile not only to assist the attainment of two million but 15 million metric tonnes to facilitate export to make more money for women.
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For instance, she said that Anambra State received 12 garri processing machines and 12 garri frying machines as well as two fish smoking machines and 15 4,000-litres fish buckets among others.
“Imo, Lagos, Oyo, Ebony states also got 12 garri processing machines and 12 garri frying machines while Kano State got 10 industrial sewing machines and two overlock weaving machines,” she said.
The minister also said that Jigawa State got 15 rice milling machines, Kano, 5; Kebbi 10; just as Niger and Benue states received five rice milling each.
“We want every community to get involved in this. So you can imagine, it sounds impossible, but it’s doable. If anybody could have told me when I started this that it could move to this extent in a couple of months, nobody would have believed it.
“But today, we’re talking about 15 states applying. Some of them, about two, three communities are going to get something.
So how we do the supply? We first supplied to commissioners of women affairs.”
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