The Delta administration has achieved much in pushing women towards greater heights, the most visible being the Olympic and World Championship medallist, Blessing Okagbare. The Emmanuel Uduaghan administration is also winning accolades in other dimensions.

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

If you have a difficult job to handle, give it to a woman,” Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan said to the rapturous approval of the majority of the women and the quiet approval of President Goodluck Jonathan who were gathered at the Ladi Kwali hall of Sheraton Hotel and Towers penultimate Tuesday.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi was to add to the hilarity with his own assertion on the prudence of women when it came to the family purse.
“When you give money to women they spend it on the family, but when you give it to men, they spend it outside and create more families,” the governor said.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan with Blessing Okagbare

The occasion was the eighth annual Medium and Small Scale Enterprises Finance Conference, the yearly event staged by Nigeria’s Central Bank to showcase advancements in the financing of small and medium scale enterprises. This year’s conference was also the first one organised by the newly appointed governor of the apex bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

Dr. Uduaghan’s assertion on the competence of women was itself a direct contradiction to the well known labelling of women as the weaker sex. He spoke as one of six governors in a panel discussion on the engagements of six state governments in MSME financing.
Besides Uduaghan, other governors on the panel were Governors Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Segun Mimiko of Ondo, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo, Babangida Aliyu of Niger and Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State.

The governors at the panel discussion moderated by erstwhile managing director of the Bank of Industry, BoI, Ms Evelyn Oputu used the stage to recount their achievements in the MSME sector.

Governor Aliyu had impressed many with his claim that Niger State has for three consecutive years been recognised by the Central Bank for having the least proportion of the poor among the states in the country. One initiative he said, had propped the state towards that enviable position was the policy of empowering each of the 274 wards in the state with a monthly grant of N1 million which is used for development.

Governor Mimiko, speaking in a similar vein, said his administration had granted N1 billion through a poverty elimination programme to women. Ajimobi on his part, spoke of regular grants given at zero-interest rates to desiring entrepreneurs.
Governor Akpabio on his part also spoke of weekly grants of N500,000 provided by his wife to church cooperatives.

However, given the sterling example set by the Delta State administration in the field of MSME financing with testimonials in back to back awards from the CBN in past awards, it was not surprising that many also looked up to Governor Uduaghan to learn from the administration’s pattern of success.
Noting the central problem posed by unemployment to all political players, he said:

“The challenge before any leader today whether is the president, governor or local government chairman is unemployment,” Udugahan said as he noted challenges with infrastructure which his administration had to confront when he came to power in 2007.
According to him, while the administration immediately commenced the upgrade of infrastructure, it did not wait for the completion of the infrastructure projects before it commenced its empowerment programmes through the Delta Micro-Credit Programme, DMCP.

The DMCP, he said, had so far covered over 110,000 persons with more than 60% of them being women.
“The programme is managed by a woman,” Uduaghan said, adding the clincher, “if you have a problem in this world, give it to a woman,” the governor said in appreciation of the well lauded micro-credit scheme headed by programme manager, Dr. Anthonia Ashiedu.

Highlighting the achievements of the micro-credit scheme, he noted that the DMCP had recently forged a partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO.
A result of the partnership is the enhancement of shoes and other leather products made by beneficiaries of the DMCP.

Two young female graduates who are beneficiaries of the DMCP scheme who have walked away from the labour market and were among beneficiaries who recently returned from a three week exhibition in Italy were also in Abuja to showcase their products.

President Jonathan recognised the efforts of the Delta administration when he that day handed over a cheque of N500 million out of the N1 billion set aside for the CBN for MSMEs to deserving state administrations. The only other recipient deserving that day was Governor Akpabio who went home with N200 million.
Besides, Delta State was also recognised with an award for the outstanding successes it has made under the MSME programme.