THE Central Bank Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, recently stressed the need to incorporate women as key economic actors in growing Nigeria's small and medium'sized enterprises (SMEs), saying it would ultimately lead to the country's economic development. He made this assertion while delivering a keynote address when officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other stakeholders converged on Le Meridien Ibom Hotels, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State for the 2012 Development Finance Officers' Conference, to brainstorm on strategic policies and programmes that would facilitate and improve access to finance for women entrepreneurs in the country. MALLAM Sanusi explained further that the conference was organised by the apex bank in recognition of the economic capacities of women and the need to incorporate women as key economic actors in growing Nigeria's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that would ultimately lead to the country's economic development. He lamented that despite the fact that women constituted over 50 percent of Nigeria's population, 76.8 percent of the adult females were unbanked, poor and vulnerable, adding that this gap must be closed if Nigeria is to tap into the economic capacities of women.WE share the CBN's Governor's sentiments and commend his effort to set up structures and policy frameworks to empower women with finance to set up and grow their businesses. This is epitomised by the Revised Microfinance Policy, Regulatory and Supervisory Framework for Nigeria, National Finance Inclusion Strategy and the N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund.THE last census shows clearly that Nigerian women make up about 50 per cent of the nation's total population. Yet, for over five decades, Nigerian women have apparently been deliberately and consistently pushed into second-class citizenship until the establishment of a substantive Ministry of Women Affairs and the commendable representation of women in President Goodluck Jonathan's cabinet following the 2011 general election.THE experiences of other nations show quite clearly that development is a product of a partnership between both genders, and that no enduring progress is possible or even desirable without the free, full and unfettered participation of women. All societies which are still backward and unprogressive are characterised by common features: women are still oppressed and marginalised and prevented, legally and culturally, from developing to the full capacity of their abilities.A progressive agenda for women is informed by two self-evident truths: women as full-fledged citizens are entitled to all the rights and privileges as enshrined in the constitution. The policy towards women is, therefore, motivated by the mutually reinforcing imperatives of equity and efficiency.THE Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development should strive to play its role as the apex agency for planning, articulating, implementing and monitoring all initiatives designed to more effectively integrate Nigerian women folk into the main stream of the national life. There is the need to take a critical look at all laws in the nation's statute books, with particular reference to inheritance, widowhood and taxation, and immediately repeal or radically amend them. All economic, cultural and psychological obstacles to the education of women should be removed while a new programme of enlightenment should begin to re-orient the attitudes and prejudices of the whole society towards women. The target should be equality of all Nigerians, regardless of sex.WE are inclined to suggest the formulation of a National Policy on Women. A national policy is needed to address the disproportionate burden carried by women. Formulating a policy must be seen as one part of a process of achieving a change in the situation of women through government action. Critical thought has to be given to formulating this policy to achieve the desired objective. Priorities have to be set. The policy must be specific about what has to be done, how to do it, the resources available, executing agencies, objectives and target dates.THE existing programmes need not be scrapped; but the mechanism for monitoring and evaluating them must be devised. Indeed, all women's programmes must be such that the women can see themselves, not only as beneficiaries but as active participants in conceiving, designing, executing and monitoring them. In devising these programmes, certain areas need particular attention. These include income generation programmes to remove women from the poverty line. Apart from economic empowerment through the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills, emphasis should also be on managerial ability and the pooling of resources. Formation of cooperatives should continue to be encouraged with a clearer understanding of cooperative principles and objectives than appear to be the case now.
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