Dr. Asabe Bashir during the takeover with Mrs. Maimuna Mani Yangora, Director, Training of the NCWD on Monday, April 12, 2021, in Abuja.
By Gabriel Kekong
The new Director-General and CEO, National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Dr. Asabe Vilita Bashir has unveiled her vision for Nigerian women, anchoring it on “re-structure, re-position and re-branding.”
She made this known at her formal take-over on Monday in Abuja.
According to her, “I make bold, to say that I will bring my wealth of experience to bear so that this monumental Resource Centre can further gain both wider national and international recognitions. In this vein, we shall “re-structure”, “re-position” and “re-brand” the Centre, for optimum results, towards empowering the Nigerian women, and for overall national development.
“I stand before you today, to declare that the National Centre for Women Development is now a “NEWBORN BABY”, therefore we must nurture it together. In this regard, let us stand up as patriots, to further “nurture” her; to further “protect” her, and to further “develop” her together. As joint stakeholders, the Centre is one of our own avenues of contributing directly to Nigeria’s development, and the development of Nigerian women in particular.
“Being a strong advocate of gender equality and women’s rights; under my leadership, the Centre will further synergize and continue to collaborate with all relevant Women Organizations and stakeholders, both nationally and internationally, to ensure that the challenges hindering women emancipation and development are drastically combated,” she said.
Challenging the workforce at the Centre, Bashir noted that “to achieve these goals, all hands must be on deck. We all need to continue to remain diligent and passionate about the jobs we are all employed to do. We are all here because Government believed that we have something to offer; first, for the progress of the Centre, as well as overall National Development.
“On my part, I will strive as much as possible, to tap all the required resources and ensure that a very friendly and progressive working environment is provided for the teeming workforce, for optimum productivity and greater results to be achieved; particularly, in the area of Internal Revenue Generation (IGR),” Bashir stated.
The NCWD new DG pledged that she will work towards consensus with all segments of society including relevant government agencies, financial institutions of which the Central Bank is key, international organizations such as the UN-Women, European Union, ECOWAS, and civil society amongst others.
“We will work towards deepening women engagement in politics especially as we head towards 2023 general elections.”
Bashir a one-time member of the House of Reps and a two-term State House of Assembly member was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on February 15, 2021, but with effect from April 10, 2021.
