The Niger Development Commission, NDDC, has stepped up its quest for
\ngender balance in the fields of science and technology through the Girls
\nin Engineering, Mathematics and Science, GEMS, programme.<\/p>\n
The NDDC Acting Managing Director, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, who announced
\nthis at the final command performance of a stage play, \u201cLittle Drops\u201d, in
\ncommemoration of this year\u2019s International Women\u2019s Day, explained that the
\nGEMS programme aims at encouraging young girls in the region to embrace
\nscience and technology, as well as to provide quality manpower that will
\nenable them participate in the oil and gas sector.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Semenitari said that the NDDC would also institute the Queen Kambasa
\nAwards for Excellence to recognize and reward achievement of Niger Delta
\nwomen in different spheres and in doing so, inspire women to excel in
\nwhatever they do. She said that the award would be in honour of the first
\nknown queen of the Niger Delta because it was important to create role
\nmodels for our young women and girls by showing them the path to
\nexcellence.<\/p>\n
The NDDC boss said that it was necessary to use the engaging platform of
\ndrama to re-introduce the issues confronting the Niger Delta to national
\nconsciousness, conscience and discourse, through the voice of women.<\/p>\n
According to the Mrs. Semenitari, the \u201cLittle Drops\u201d, rendered by
\nProfessor Yerima, achieved this eloquently. She said: \u201cIt provides us with
\nstartling and brilliant metaphor, a most enchanting pathway through which
\nwe can begin to resolve the twin inequities of gender and development,
\nboth infrastructural and human, which the Niger Delta has suffered for far
\ntoo long. Told from the perspective of four women, caught in the crossfire
\nof the armed conflict in the region, we come face to face with the tragedy
\nof our beloved Niger Delta.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Niger Delta torment, her needs, her sores and bruised spirit, some
\naspects which are so brilliantly captured in this play, must continue to
\nremain an item in the national agenda, a constant narrative in national
\nand international discourse, demanding and requiring healing. In doing
\nthat, we must also begin to think more on helping to rebuild the lives of
\nwomen and children who are unscripted victims of the conflicts in the
\nNiger Delta.\u201d<\/p>\n
The NDDC Chief Executive Officer said that the burden of development was
\ngreat, for which reason the Federal Government identified important
\nstakeholders that must work together, as development partners, to move the
\nregion forward. \u201cThese partners, working with the NDDC, under the new
\nstandards of probity, due process, proper application of funds, clarity of
\nvision and engagement, which President Muhammadu Buhari has ushered in,
\nwill help ensure greater synergy and accelerated growth,\u201d Mrs. Semenitari
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
She further stated that the NDDC, in line with its mandate, facilitated
\nthe development of the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan. She
\nexplained: \u201cThe Master Plan, in exploring 27 sectors, ranging from
\nbiodiversity to agriculture, from physical infrastructure to women issues,
\nindeed, every aspect of human activity, provides an integrated and
\nintegrative action plan for true sustainable development. It is one we all
\nmust embrace, working together as partners.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking at the occasion, the wife of the Cross River State governor, Dr.
\nLinda Ayade, charged women not to be deterred by retarding traditions that
\ntended to hold them down. \u201cWe must resist the negative forces and forge
\nahead to be at par with the opposite gender. Whatever inspiration you get
\nthat will lead you to your purpose must be followed without distraction.
\nYou may fail, but failure is not a limitation. What matters is what you do
\nto overcome your challenges,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ayade charged women in privileged positions in the society to assist
\nothers who were at the fringes to rise to some reasonable level, advising
\nwomen to always set their goals right. \u201cDo not follow the crowd for any
\nperson that goes with the crowd will stop where the crowd stops. But the
\nones that follow their dreams soar to greater heights,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The governor\u2019s wife said that women should not allow themselves to be made
\nto feel inferior as that could only happen when they permit it. \u201cIt is
\nwhat you permit that comes to you. Our women have been permissive for a
\nvery long time.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Niger Development Commission, NDDC, has stepped up its quest for gender balance in the fields of science and technology through the Girls in Engineering, Mathematics and Science, GEMS, programme.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31578,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n