Rivers: SSDC engages South- south women on regional development

The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) has created a platform for women in the South-south region to articulate challenges affecting them and to contribute to the development agenda for the region.

The interactive forum, held in Port Harcourt  Monday with the theme: “Transform, Empower and Sustain,” brought together women leaders from various groups and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), including the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) and the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), to deliberate on issues plaguing women in the region and chart a way forward.

Speaking at the event, the SSDC board member representing Rivers state, Chika Chinda, said the commission deliberately selected critical women stakeholders because of their strategic role in grassroots mobilisation.

He said the SSDC covers the six states of the South-south geopolitical zone – Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers – noting that the commission had previously engaged with traditional rulers, youth groups and other stakeholders.

“We want to interact with women of Rivers state, and the reason we have carefully chosen all the women seated here today is because we believe you represent all the women in Rivers state.

“Let this message of introduction by the commission trickle down to the grassroots, so that everyone is aware that the newly inaugurated SSDC has been fully funded and is poised to ensure that the South-south region and its people are empowered and developed,” Chinda said.

He added that the SSDC is charged by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to develop the South-south, adding that Rivers state is uniquely favoured with three key positions in the commission, including the chairman and the executive director of projects.

In his message to the women, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by Chinda, charged women of the South-south to remain hopeful and resilient in the face of current challenges.

The forum provided an opportunity for participants to share personal and collective experiences, after which both parties deliberated and proffered practical solutions to the issues raised.