By Queen Kunde
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has entered into a two-year partnership with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), FCT Chapter, to promote women empowerment, raw materials development and Nigeria’s industrial growth.
The partnership, sealed in Abuja on Monday through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), is also aimed at using the media to create greater awareness of RMRDC’s programmes and bring its interventions closer to Nigerians.
Under the agreement, both organisations will collaborate on media advocacy, public awareness, women empowerment, raw materials processing, value-chain development and capacity building in product development.
Speaking at the ceremony, NAWOJ FCT Chairperson, Bassey Ita Ikpang, said the partnership would give women journalists a stronger platform to tell stories about Nigeria’s raw materials sector and its impact on the economy.
She said the media had a major role to play in shaping public opinion and promoting initiatives that could improve people’s lives.
According to her, NAWOJ FCT would use its platforms to highlight RMRDC programmes capable of creating jobs, supporting women and opening up new economic opportunities.
Ikpang praised the RMRDC management for recognising the contribution of women journalists to national development and assured that NAWOJ would work to make the partnership successful.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director of the RMRDC Gender and Mainstreaming and Disability Unit, Dr Grace Abidoye, said the agreement would help the Council reach a wider audience.
Abidoye said greater media attention would help Nigerians understand the importance of adding value to locally available raw materials and the opportunities available to women in the sector.
She added that the partnership would support efforts to empower women and promote initiatives that contribute to national development.
However, the RMRDC Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, said the real test of the partnership would be what both organisations achieve after the signing.
Ike-Muonso challenged the RMRDC Gender Department and NAWOJ FCT to turn the MoU into practical projects with clear and measurable results.
He warned against allowing the agreement to become another document that would remain on the shelf, stressing the need for both sides to develop initiatives that would have a direct impact on Nigerians.
“We need to give it a teeth,” he said, urging the two organisations to move quickly from promises to action.
Earlier, Mr Idaopu Wakama, who represented the RMRDC Director of Legal and Board Services, said the MoU provides the framework for cooperation between the Council and NAWOJ.
He said the agreement covers media advocacy and public awareness, women empowerment, raw materials processing and value-chain development, as well as training in raw materials processing and product development.
The partnership will initially run for two years, with the possibility of renewal by mutual agreement.
The deal is expected to increase public awareness of RMRDC’s interventions while giving women journalists a bigger role in reporting issues around raw materials, innovation, industrial development and economic empowerment.