Benue State Governor, Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has described women as the cradle of life and society.
The Governor said this on the occasion of the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration in Makurdi, Benue State capital. He therefore, called on all stakeholders to ensure the education of the girl child, as it is the most potent weapon against oppression and relegation.
According to Fr. Alia, women’s contributions are vital, and without them, communities would weaken, the economy would suffer, and families would forever be searching for direction.
He stressed the key roles Benue women played in agriculture, trade, lawmaking, teaching, policymaking, and healthcare services and called on the male folks never to look down on the women.
“Here in Benue, our women are not just mothers in the genuine sense of the word; they are farmers, traders, lawmakers, teachers, specialists, and policymakers. Without their contributions, our economy would stall, our communities would weaken, and our families would forever be searching for a direction,” Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Tersoo Kula, quoted Fr. Alia in a statement as saying.
According to the governor, this year’s theme of the IWD celebration, “Advance Action,” is timely, as he urges stakeholders to speed up actions aimed at achieving gender equality and addressing the slow pace of progress among women.
“Despite their invaluable role, very many women still struggle in the regressive waters of inequality. Some are denied education, they force others into early marriage, and overly many still bear the weight of harmful cultural practices. We must, therefore, speed up action to change this narrative,” the governor explained.
Scores of women have been appointed into key positions by the Fr. Alia administration, with the governor saying priority has been handed out to empowerment programmes for women in the 2025 state budget to enable them to get grants and soft loans to improve their income and self-reliance.
