The House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development has issued a strong directive to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, demanding it fully executes its mandate of ensuring gender equality and protecting the rights and welfare of women and girls across Nigeria.
Oversight Meeting Focuses on Budget Implementation
This charge was delivered on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, during an oversight meeting between the committee and the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Suleman Ibrahim. The session, led by Committee Chairperson Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, centered on reviewing the ministry's 2024 budget allocations with a focus on the shared principles of transparency, accountability, and empowerment.
Hon. Ogbara emphasized that the exercise was far more than a routine procedure. She described it as a critical opportunity to ensure that financial commitments yield tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerian women and girls. "As lawmakers, we have a profound responsibility to scrutinize how public funds are allocated, released, and utilized," she stated.
Three-Pronged Scrutiny: Releases, Expenditure, and Utilization
The committee chair outlined three key areas of focus for the 2024 budget review:
- Percentage Releases: Understanding how much of the allocated budget has been disbursed and if these releases followed planned timelines. Delays, she noted, can cripple vital programs for women's health, education, economic empowerment, and protection from violence.
- Expenditure Analysis: Examining how the released funds have been spent to ensure resources are used effectively on programs that deliver real results.
- Utilization: Ensuring every naira spent directly addresses the unique challenges faced by women and contributes to their upliftment.
"The budget is not just a document of figures; it is a reflection of our values and priorities as a society," Hon. Ogbara declared, stressing the importance of the ministry's allocations.
Minister Highlights Operational Challenges and Progress
In her response, Minister Hajiya Imaan Suleman Ibrahim acknowledged the critical role of the ministry, given that women and girls constitute a significant portion of Nigeria's population. She identified several challenges hindering optimal performance, including outdated policies, insufficient operational guidelines, and funding constraints.
"We're battling with issues around outdated policies and insufficient guidelines and protocols to be able to discharge our functions, which is all work in progress," the Minister explained. She revealed that a committee has been set up to review relevant laws for subsequent presentation to the National Assembly. On a positive note, she mentioned that the Ministry's Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) was recently presented at the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The meeting underscores the National Assembly's intensified oversight role in ensuring that budgetary provisions for key social sectors like women's affairs are fully implemented for maximum national impact.
