By Joy Salami
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kogi State Women Committee, on Wednesday marked the 2026 International Women’s Day, with a strong call on government and stakeholders to intensify efforts towards empowering women as a means of building a stronger workforce and a better society.
The event, held at the NUT Guest House Hall in Lokoja, brought together labour leaders, government officials, civil society groups, and women from across the state under the theme: “Empowered Women, Strong Workforce, Better Kogi State.”
Chairperson of the NLC Women Committee in Kogi State, Comrade Rose Obademi, said in her welcome address that empowering women remains a necessity for development, stressing that societies which invest in women build stronger economies and more prosperous futures.
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She noted that women in Kogi State continue to contribute significantly across sectors, including the civil service, education, health, agriculture, media and the informal economy, despite challenges such as inequality, limited opportunities and heavy responsibilities.
Obademi called for sustained policies that promote equal rights, fair treatment, decent work and leadership opportunities for women, urging stakeholders to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete actions that support inclusion and workplace safety.
In a keynote presentation, Mrs Ife Bolorunduro, Director of Administration at the Kogi State Staff Development Centre, described the theme as strategic, emphasising that empowering women directly translates to building the state’s economy.
She highlighted that although women make up a large percentage of the population and play key roles in trade, agriculture and small-scale enterprises across communities such as Ganaja, Okene, Koton-Karfe, Ankpa, Dekina and Kabba, many still face barriers including low literacy levels, limited access to finance and underrepresentation in leadership.
Bolorunduro identified cultural constraints, financial exclusion and educational gaps as major challenges, and called for increased investment in women’s education, access to loans, skill acquisition programmes and legal protection against discrimination.
She added that education remains a critical tool for empowerment, noting that adult literacy programmes have helped many women transition into confident entrepreneurs capable of managing businesses effectively.
Also speaking, the Kogi State Chairman of the NLC, Mr Gabriel Amari, explained that while International Women’s Day is globally celebrated on 8 March, the national body permitted states to hold their events on convenient dates within the month, leading to the 25 March celebration in Kogi.
Amari commended the Kogi State Government for promoting gender inclusion, stating that women in the state had exceeded the 35 per cent affirmative representation benchmark through appointments into key political and administrative positions, including commissioners and council officials.
He, however, urged women to take full advantage of the opportunities available and called for the establishment of more skill acquisition centres and improved access to loans to further enhance women’s economic growth.
The programme also featured goodwill messages reiterating the need for collective action to bridge gender gaps and strengthen women’s participation in the workforce.
