The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, and the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development are forging a strategic partnership to advance women’s empowerment, promote inclusion and amplify women’s voices across the country.
The proposed collaboration seeks to advance inclusive development through sustained media advocacy, increased visibility for women’s achievements, capacity-building initiatives and greater public awareness of policies and programmes designed to expand socio-economic opportunities for women and girls.
The partnership was the focus of a courtesy visit by a delegation of the NUJ FCT Council, led by its Chairperson, Grace Ike, to the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre, Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, in Abuja.
Both institutions expressed their commitment to building a sustainable relationship that would strengthen women’s participation in national development.
READ ALSO: Minister Reaffirms Support for Women Empowerment Initiatives
Benjamins-Laniyi emphasised the media’s role in promoting inclusion and amplifying the voices, challenges and achievements of underserved women.
She explained that the Centre’s programmes were being aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to expand economic opportunities, promote women’s leadership and ensure that development interventions reached women across different social and economic backgrounds.
The Director-General also emphasised disability inclusion, advocating practical accessibility in public institutions and spaces to ensure that persons with disabilities could participate meaningfully in social and economic activities and access essential services without discrimination.
She proposed periodic training programmes, media roundtables and knowledge-sharing engagements to equip journalists with the professional capacity to report responsibly on women’s economic empowerment, gender-based violence, leadership, education and social inclusion.
According to her, women’s development must remain a consistent feature of national discourse rather than receive attention only during International Women’s Day celebrations and other commemorative occasions. She stressed the need for sustained journalism that highlights opportunities, challenges and measurable progress.
“Let us remember that behind every policy discussion is a woman seeking an opportunity; behind every advocacy campaign is a girl deserving a brighter future; and behind every story told with purpose is the possibility of changing attitudes, influencing decisions and improving lives,” Benjamins-Laniyi stated.
To translate the proposed collaboration into tangible outcomes, she advocated a formal media partnership framework, with designated focal persons from both institutions to coordinate activities, monitor implementation and periodically assess achievements in public awareness, women’s participation and opportunities created.
Earlier, Ike described the visit as a declaration of partnership of purpose, reaffirming the council’s readiness to work with the Centre to document, preserve and amplify the contributions of Nigerian women to the country’s political, economic, social and cultural development.
Ike, the first woman to lead the NUJ FCT Council, observed that despite the significant roles women had played in shaping Nigeria’s development, many of their achievements remained insufficiently documented, poorly archived or excluded from the country’s historical narratives.
“We must pay particular attention to grassroots women, rural women, women in informal work, women with disabilities, young women and women whose contributions rarely attract public attention. Inclusion must be intentional, not symbolic,” She stressed.
She advocated transforming the Nigerian Women Hall of Fame, located within the Centre, beyond its traditional recognition function into a living repository of women’s accomplishments, historical evidence and national inspiration, particularly for girls and young women seeking role models in leadership and professional advancement.
“We see considerable opportunities for collaboration through joint public awareness campaigns, media engagement on policies affecting women, capacity-building programmes for journalists, the promotion of women in leadership and the documentation of inspiring stories of women making significant contributions to society,” the NUJ FCT Council Chairperson explained.
Congratulating Benjamins-Laniyi on her appointment as the Centre’s 16th director-general and the institution on its 34th anniversary, Ike commended her contributions to economic empowerment, gender advocacy, research, skills development and women’s leadership.
She also highlighted the need to strengthen the professional development of women journalists and promote greater female representation in leadership positions across the media industry and other sectors.
“We are also interested in initiatives that will strengthen the capacity of women journalists, promote professional development and encourage greater female representation in leadership positions within the media industry and other sectors,” Ike said.
She expressed optimism that sustained cooperation between the media and the Centre would deepen public understanding of gender inclusion, increase support for women-focused interventions and ensure that the voices, experiences and achievements of Nigerian women occupied a more prominent place in the country’s development agenda.
Also present at the event were former President of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Rotarian Evelyn Onyilo, and FCT NAWOJ Chairperson, Bassey Ita Ikpang, among others.
