A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Kano, Mallam Umar Idris Shuaibu, has urged women occupying public offices, strategic positions in the private sector, and other prominent fields of endeavour across Nigeria to adopt and replicate grassroots empowerment initiatives as pioneered by Professor Hafsat Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to boost economic inclusion and improve livelihoods nationwide.
- +APC chieftain tasks women on empowerment initiatives
Idris Shuaibu, who is also a political associate of the ex-Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, gave the advice during an exclusive interview with Arewa PUNCH on Thursday.
Idris Shuaibu, who is also a political associate of the ex-Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, gave the advice during an exclusive interview with Arewa PUNCH on Thursday.
According to him, the time had come for influential women in governance, business, and civil society to move beyond rhetoric and embrace practical empowerment models that directly impact lives at the grassroots.
Shuaibu said, “This is not just a general call to women; it is specifically directed at women in positions of authority, successful entrepreneurs, and prominent figures across the country. They must take deliberate steps to replicate models that have been proven to work.”
While commending Professor Hafsat Ganduje’s record, he noted that her initiatives during her tenure as the First Lady of Kano State were impactful, structured, and far-reaching.
Shuaibu stressed further, “Hafsat Ganduje’s approach was not about distributing items for the sake of publicity. It was about building capacity, creating opportunities, and ensuring that women became economically independent.”
He explained that her programmes, which focused on skills acquisition, small-scale enterprise support, and community-based interventions, empowered thousands of women, particularly at the grassroots level.
“These programmes gave women real tools to succeed. Many of them started small businesses, became self-reliant, and began contributing to their families’ welfare. That is the kind of empowerment Nigerian women need,” he insisted.
Shuaibu maintained that replicating such initiatives at a broader level would significantly strengthen national efforts aimed at poverty reduction and inclusive economic growth.
“If you scale this model across the country, especially with the involvement of women leaders and entrepreneurs, you will see a drastic reduction in poverty and unemployment among Nigerian women,” he noted.
The ex-Kano governor’s aide further emphasised the need for sustainability in empowerment programmes, warning against short-term interventions that fail to deliver lasting impact.
“Empowerment must go beyond one-off interventions. It must be structured, monitored, and sustained. That was one of the strengths of Prof. Hafsat Ganduje’s programmes, they were designed to endure and produce measurable results,” he stated.
Providing a background, Shuaibu lamposted the fact that Hafsat Ganduje, during her years as First Lady, built a reputation for championing women-focused initiatives anchored on education, vocational training and social support systems.
The APC chieftain added that her interventions were rooted in a clear understanding of the socio-economic challenges facing women, particularly in northern Nigeria, where access to economic opportunities has historically been limited.
“Prof. Hafsat Ganduje’s legacy is one of quiet but effective and impactful service. She invested in human capital development, especially among women who had previously been excluded from economic participation. That is why her model stands out,” he insisted.
Shuaibu further pointed out that Hadjia Ganduje’s programmes were implemented through community-based structures, ensuring that beneficiaries were not only empowered but also supported to sustain their ventures.
He urged women leaders across sectors to study and adapt similar strategies, noting that collaboration and knowledge-sharing would further enhance impact.
The Kano-based APC chieftain also called for the engagement of experienced individuals with proven track records in grassroots development to guide and strengthen ongoing women-focused initiatives.
“This is not about reinventing the wheel. It is about learning from what has worked and scaling it. Prof. Hafsat Ganduje has provided a template; others should build on it,” he maintained.
