During their quarterly meeting and third annual retreat in Bauchi State, the Wives of Nigeria Governors pledged to intensify their advocacy efforts on the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, addressing resistance faced at the grassroots level.
The forum expressed their commitment to collaborate closely with primary health workers and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to raise awareness and scale up vaccination efforts across the country.
The Chairperson of the Forum and First Lady of Kwara State, Mrs. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, and Dr. Aisha Bala Mohammed, First Lady of Bauchi State, jointly issued a communique detailing the resolutions reached during the meeting. Mrs. Abdulrazaq highlighted the successful mobilization efforts of the first ladies in various campaigns, including sensitization on breastfeeding, hand washing awareness, HPV vaccine advocacy, drug eradication, and sustained advocacy on sexual and gender-based violence, among others.
The forum resolved to transition from the “Nigeria Governors Wives’ Forum” (NGWF) to the “Nigeria Governors Spouses’ Forum,” emphasizing the active role played by the first ladies in advocating for increased women’s representation in leadership positions. Additionally, the first ladies endorsed a digital up-skilling program in partnership with the Lagos Business School and Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC). The initiative aims to sponsor girls and women from their respective states for digital training, narrowing the gender gap in the digital industry.
In their commitment to capacity development, the first ladies will participate in a workshop on sexual and gender-based violence organized by NGWF in partnership with UN Women on November 9 and 10, 2023. Furthermore, the forum will collaborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to facilitate a capacity-building program focused on drug abuse prevention and mitigation.
The first ladies also endorsed a joint compact on ending Gender-Based Violence and Harmful Practices, a collaborative effort between NGWF and UNICEF. These initiatives aim to equip the first ladies with essential knowledge and skills to effectively engage and advocate for critical social issues within their respective states, driving positive change. The meeting was attended by 17 first ladies, highlighting their collective dedication to social and health advocacy across Nigeria.
