The Lagos State Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, has given assurance that the Lagos State Government is ready to work with UN Women to create more economic opportunities for women-led businesses and other vulnerable groups in the State to enable them to contribute their quota to the socio-economic development of the State.
The Head of Service made the declaration in a keynote address delivered on his behalf by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in the State, Mrs. Oluyemi Kalesanwo, at the Women Economic Empowerment through Affirmative Procurement in Nigeria Stakeholders’ Consultative Meeting organised by UN Women in collaboration with the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency and other stakeholders.
Mr. Muri-Okunola noted that in view of the fact that many women are known to have proved their mettle in various professions, vocations and businesses, thereby contributing to nation-building, they can do much more than they are currently doing if given the right environment, opportunities and support to operate.
He, therefore, commended the UN Women for collaborating with the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency to strengthen the capacity of women-led businesses in managing Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises and promoting affirmative procurement policies in the State.
The Head of Service further pointed out that successive Administrations in the State had formulated and implemented policies and programmes aimed at promoting gender equity, women empowerment and increased access to social services by women and other vulnerable groups in the society.
While stressing that women deserve all the encouragement and support of the State Government to enable them to benefit more from opportunities in public procurement in the State, Muri-Okunola stated that distinguishing characteristics of a sound procurement regime, including competitiveness, inclusiveness, transparency and accountability must not be compromised, adding that the integrity of the public procurement system must never be in doubt.
He charged participants at the event to go the whole hug in fashioning out strategies for supporting women to enable them to benefit more from public procurement opportunities in the State.
In a goodwill message at the event, the Commissioner for Finance in the State, who is also the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, stated that the present Administration in the State under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu believes strongly in the policy of inclusivity which enables all strata of the society to contribute to Government’s programmes and also benefit from opportunities in Government.
Dr. Olowo added that the State Government was not unaware of the fact that many vulnerable groups in the State, including women, the youth and the old are economically disadvantaged, noting that this state of affairs was not acceptable to the State Government.
The Commissioner, however, disclosed that the State Government was leaving no stone unturned with a view to reversing the unacceptable situation, adding that the State Government had initiated various policies and programmes to assist different categories of vulnerable groups and many business start-ups to benefit from the economy of the State.
In a welcome address delivered at the occasion, the Director-General, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Mr. Fatai Idowu Onafowote, stated the Agency was not averse to new ideas and initiatives that “can further enhance public procurement process and give people considered as vulnerable and marginalised in the award of contracts a sense of belonging”.
He added that the State Government was passionate about supporting programmes aimed at empowering women to enable them to contribute their quota to the economic and social development of the State.
Mr. Onafowote also explained that the collaboration of UN Women with the State Government on women empowerment was of interest to the State Government in view of the relevance of the initiative to the existing areas of economic and social interventions the State Government had been focusing on to empower women and other vulnerable groups in the State.
Also speaking at the event, the Deputy Country Representative, UN Women, Nigeria, Mr. Lansana Wonneh, stated that women-led businesses were under-represented in contract awards in Nigeria, securing only one per cent of the total contract awards.
Mr. Wonneh, who was represented at the occasion by the Programme Officer, Women Economic Empowerment, UN Women, Nigeria, Mrs. Patience Ekechukwu, listed corruption, bribery, favouritism/nepotism, sexual harassment and gender-based violence as some of the barriers being encountered by women entrepreneurs.
He, therefore, stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to eliminate all the areas of challenges so that women-led businesses could begin to enjoy a better share of the procurement opportunities in Government.
