Japan, UN sign $2.3m pact to aid children, women in crisis

The Japanese Government and the UN Women have signed a $2.3million agreement assistance aimed at providing support to those affected by insurgency and climate change in the North East.

Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Yutaka Kikuta during the signing ceremony stated that the project which will provide the sum of $2.3 million is aimed at preparing women and girls to withstand crisis, recover from the impact of crises and increase their resilience to future crises.

He also said the project will also prepare women affected by crisis to lead and participate in decision making as well as provide social cohesion and protection from gender based violence.

“In addition the intervention will not only strengthen the resilience of women but will also contribute to the prevention and mitigation of violent extremism by addressing limited economic opportunities and other key drivers of radicalization. The project will employ tools that are gender-responsive and will provide preparedness and recovery system which will enhance women’s leadership and influence in decision making” he said.

The Ambassador said the project is in line with Japan’s country Development Cooperation for Nigeria of which the promotion of peace and stability including reconstruction assistance in the north East region is a priority.

The UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS Ms Comfort Lamptey said women and girls have been disproportionately affected by the protracted crises and instability in the Lake Chad region with about 63 percent of vulnerable households within the most conflict-affcted areas in the North East headed by women.

She said the partnership with the Japanese government, and other stakeholders including Lake Chad Basin Commission, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Sasakawa Africa Association amongst others.

she added that the partnership will implement the Strengthening Resilience of Women and Girls affected by Conflicts, Violent Extremism and Climate Change in the Lake Chad Region from April 2020 till March 2022 in Gashua, Yobe State and Karewa and Kolofata in Far North region of Cameroon.

“We are working in two Local Government Areas, and 3000 households are expected to benefit from the project directly. And of course indirect beneficiaries will be many more on the Nigerian side and the project is in both Nigeria and Northern Cameroon.

“We expect thousands of households on the Cameroonian side to benefit from the project also. The project will give them the tools and support so that they can be more resilient wherever they are they should be economically empowered and can look after themselves and their children” she said.

Also speaking the Commissioner of Women’s Affairs, Yobe State, Hajiya Hauwa Bah Abubakar said the collaboration with UN Women will develop a women empowerment hub that would accommodate widows, vulnerable women and girls.

“We are going to provide comprehensive and integrated training that would learn life skills to strengthen their resilience and also do economic empowerment package to include education, literacy numeracy skills that are viable to enable the earn income and make them self-reliant to take care of their orphans and the girls through our intervention with UN Women will ensure that some of them go back to school and continue with their intervention which will have a good effect on them” she said.