National News

Orange, UN Women join forces to support women’s economic empowerment in West and Central Africa

Published

3 years ago

March 10, 2022

News Net Global

Orange, UN Women join forces to support women’s economic empowerment in West and Central Africa

By: Our Reporter

Orange and UN Women have teamed up to support women’s economic empowerment and rural farm’s resilience to disasters in West and Central Africa.

An initiative to support women’s digital inclusion

In addition to the financial assistance given to the project to bolster these initiatives, Orange and the Orange Foundation offer their unique technical expertise, their network and their existing infrastructure in digital skills, technologies and digital inclusion. The project will also allow UN Women and its partners to build on results achieved so far through the “Buy from Women” initiative, and its future developments in Liberia and Mali.

The Liberia project launch following a pilot project, which is the adaptation of the “Buy from Women” platform to the local context and is almost complete, thanks to a first collaboration between the Orange Foundation and UN Women.

A statement from UN Women on Wednesday revealed that “the two Orange Foundation Women’s Digital Centers (WDC) in Liberia train women, who are not familiar with new technologies, on using digital tools and platforms”.

It said specifically, women will learn in these centres how to use the “Buy from Women” platform, following a pilot project with womens’ cooperatives working in the cassava and cereal value chains. Over time, this initiative and its developments should help support 1,200 rural women across the country.

In Mali, the technical, financial and human resources deployed through this partnership will help expand the “Buy from Women” offering and assist an additional 400 women.

The three components of the project which will complement Orange and UN Women’s support in Liberia include:

“Digital to support the economic empowerment of women in rural areas: with improved access to markets and educational opportunities thanks to the consolidation of the “Buy from Women” initiative, a focus on the e-commerce platform as well as training, marketing and other activities.

“Digital to support women’s resilience to disasters in rural areas: with improved risk coverage, weather forecasting and warnings and advice on how to adapt farming with the current climate change.

Also Read: FGN bans direct trade of farm produce between foreign…

“Digital to improve women’s access to renewable energies in rural areas: supporting domestic and productive uses and their accessibility, including financing of Pay-As-You-Go solar systems (prepaid, payment for a short period of use, etc.), and building women’s skills in the energy sector.

“Buy from Women” is an innovative initiative implemented by UN Women, in partnership with the public and private sectors, which aims to improve the digital inclusion of women living in rural areas. It does so by facilitating access to digital technology and new market opportunities, but also provides information, weather warnings and digital financial services. This initiative helps boost the productivity and income of businesses and farms run by women.

The Innovative is implemented in around ten countries across the world, where the model is adapted to the needs and characteristics of each country, it has allowed 1,500 women in Mali to market and sell their products (shea nuts, cereals, vegetables, jewelry and hygiene products, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic), and to have access to online training.

Executive Director CSR at Orange and Deputy Chair of the Orange Foundation, Elizabeth Tchoungui explained: “As the leading continent for female entrepreneurship and in the front line against the climate emergency, Africa’s resilience is an incentive to pursue the partnership between Orange and UN Women to improve conditions for women in rural areas with the help of digital tools.”

Executive Director UN Women France, Fanny Benedetti added: “Women’s economic empowerment is a crucial element for UN Women. It is also more broadly a major driver of emancipation and a means of safeguarding women’s human rights. “Buy from Women” is a flagship initiative that opens up a full range of possibilities for women living in rural areas who are often not familiar with technology, to support them in the driving role they can play in favor of sustainable development.”

Orange, UN Women join forces to support women’s economic empowerment in West and Central Africa

National News

VP Shettima Departs Abuja For Dakar To Represent President Tinubu At Senegal’s 65th Independence Anniversary

Published

13 hours ago

April 4, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

VP Shettima Departs Abuja For Dakar To Represent President Tinubu At Senegal’s 65th Independence Anniversary

By: Our Reporter

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has departed Abuja for Dakar, Senegal, to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the country’s 65th Independence Day Anniversary celebrations.

Senegal celebrates its Independence Day on April 4 each year, commemorating its freedom from French colonial rule in 1960. The day is marked by national pride, with ceremonies, parades and cultural events.

The Vice President’s attendance at the annual event is in honour of an invitation extended to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the Senegalese President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, following the strong mutual relationship between Nigeria and Senegal.

The independence Day celebrations will be held at the Place de la Nation in Dakar, with President Faye playing host to Vice President Shettima and other distinguished guests from across Africa and beyond.

The Vice President is expected to return to Nigeria tomorrow after the one-day event.

VP Shettima Departs Abuja For Dakar To Represent President Tinubu At Senegal’s 65th Independence Anniversary

National News

President Tinubu Laying Foundation For A Better Nigeria, Says Hajiya Nana Shettima

Published

1 day ago

April 3, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

President Tinubu Laying Foundation For A Better Nigeria, Says Hajiya Nana Shettima

Tasks Nigerians on constructive criticism of government actions, policies

By: Our Reporter

Wife of Nigeria’s Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, has scored the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu very high, saying the President is building a better Nigeria for Nigerians through his laudable economic policies, various empowerment initiatives and investments in key sectors of the economy.

And to help the President secure a better future for all Nigerians, the VP’s wife also encouraged the citizens not to relent in giving very useful advice to the government, urging them to be more constructive in their criticism of the administration instead of just attacking for political reasons.

Hajiya Nana Shettima spoke on Wednesday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, during the annual Ramadan feast, which had in attendance women groups and students

Emphasizing the determination of the Tinubu administration to leave a lasting legacy for generations to come, she said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is baking a new cake for us that are alive today, and for the Nigerian children and grandchildren that are coming behind us. It is who he is ably supported by our lovely First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.”

Hajiya Nana Shettima noted that the President means well for the people of Borno State as well as Nigerians in all parts of the country, even as she urged the citizens to always pray for President Tinubu and members of his cabinet.

“I can tell you that he (the President) means well, not only for Borno people but for the entire nation. We should not forget him and his subordinates in our prayers,” she added.

She further commended the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her contributions towards actualizing the agenda of the administration, especially through the Renewed Hope Initiative which she said has impacted many lives, including women, children and people with disabilities.

Also speaking at the event, the Director General of Maryam Babangida Centre for Women Development, Abuja, Dr Asabe Bashir, admonished women and the people of Borno State to imbibe the teachings of the just concluded Ramadan.

She also sought the people’s support and prayers for President Tinubu, thanking the President for picking his deputy from Borno State.

She said, “I always reiterate the importance of prayer because without prayers we can do nothing in life. We have just come out of Ramadan; let us imbibe that culture and lessons we received during the 29-day fast. We need to continue with the spiritual reflection.

“We should thank God and President Bola Tinubu for remembering the people of Borno State again by bringing the seat of the Vice President, not just to the North-East region but to Borno State after Ambassador Babagana Kingibe was elected along with the late Chief MKO Abiola so many years ago.

“We must continue to pray for the administration of President Bola Tinubu because if it succeeds, we succeed,” Dr Bashir added.

On his part, the Speaker, Youth Assembly of Nigeria, Tijjani Abubakar, thanked President Tinubu for his support to Nigerian youths through various youth empowerment initiatives.

Also, Dr Martins Ekunke, who spoke on behalf the South-South, Yoruba and Igbo communities residing in Borno State, commended the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for galvanizing support for people living with HIV/AIDS through her pet project, the Renewed Hope Initiative.

Among those that attended the annual Sallah feast hosted by Hajiya Shettima, were the wife of the Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Hajiya Maryam Lawan; wife of the Deputy Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Hajiya Laure Musa-Askira; female Commissioners and political appointees.

Also in attendance were women groups, members of the Borno State chapter of the Nationals Association of Nigerian Students, as well as the leaders of South-South, Igbo and Yoruba communities residing in Borno State, among others.

President Tinubu Laying Foundation For A Better Nigeria, Says Hajiya Nana Shettima

National News

UNILORIN Alumni Commences Tinubu on Appointment of Nandap, Omotowa, Aribisala

Published

2 days ago

April 2, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

UNILORIN Alumni Commences Tinubu on Appointment of Nandap, Omotowa, Aribisala

By: Michael Mike

The National Headquarters of University of Ilorin Alumni Association has lauded President Bola Tinubu for appointing three of its members into various leadership positions in the country.

Those appointed were Comptroller General of Immigration, Mrs Kemi Nandap,, whose tenure was elongated till December 2026, Non Executive Director of NNPC, representing North Central, Mr Babs Omotowa- and the Pioneer Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin-Ekiti, Prof. James A. Aribisala.

In a congratulatory message to the trio, the National President, Prof. AbdulRasaq Kilani, and the National Secretary, Dr Barakat Raji, said the Association received the news of the appointments with excitement.

The Alumni, who commended President Tinubu for selecting the best for their various positions, assured him that the three alumni would not disappoint him in attaining the goals set for them to achieve.

While felicitating with the appointed members on their well-deserved appointment, the Association charged them to always show the excellence in them in surpassing the targets set for them by Mr President.

The Association who extolled the pedigrees of the appointed members in their various fields, implored them to live up to the expectations of the slogan of the institutions “better by far” in all ramifications.

The Alumni then prayed for their successful tenure and tasked them not to hesitate to reach out to them whenever their services are needed in any capacity towards national development.

UNILORIN Alumni Commences Tinubu on Appointment of Nandap, Omotowa, Aribisala