RMRDC PARTNERS NAWOJ FCT TO AMPLIFY WOMEN, RAW MATERIALS AGENDA
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) and the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), FCT Chapter, have signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen media advocacy and visibility for Nigeria’s raw materials sector and women empowerment agenda.
The agreement, signed in Abuja on Monday, is expected to put greater public attention on the women, innovations and value chains that can drive industrial growth.
It also covers raw materials processing, value-chain development, and capacity building in product development.
Speaking at the ceremony, NAWOJ FCT Chairperson, Bassey Ita Ikpang, said women journalists understood the power of information to influence society and drive development.
She added that NAWOJ FCT would deploy its platforms to tell stories that inform, educate and inspire Nigerians, while giving greater visibility to initiatives capable of creating economic opportunities, particularly for women, and strengthening public awareness of the importance of Nigeria’s raw materials sector.
Ikpang also commended the RMRDC management for recognising the role of women journalists in development communication and pledged NAWOJ FCT’s commitment to ensuring that the partnership produces meaningful results.
The DG/CEO, RMRDC, Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso challenged both organisations to ensure the MoU does not remain a ceremonial document.
He charged the Gender Department and NAWOJ FCT, as the principal users of the agreement, to give it “teeth” by developing concrete projects with measurable outcomes.
Ike-Muonso stressed that the partnership must move beyond the signing ceremony and translate into practical programmes that harness the strengths of both organisations for the benefit of Nigerians.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director of the RMRDC Gender and Mainstreaming and Disability Unit, Dr Grace Abidoye, said the partnership would provide an important platform for expanding public awareness of the Council’s programmes and reaching wider audiences.
She stressed the value of working with NAWOJ to promote initiatives that can empower women, support value addition and contribute to national development.
Earlier, a representative of the RMRDC Director of Legal and Board Services, Mr Idaopu Wakama, explained that the MoU provides the framework for collaboration between the two organisations.
According to him, its scope includes media advocacy and public awareness, women empowerment, raw materials processing and value-chain development, and capacity building in raw materials processing and product development.
The agreement will run for an initial two years and may be renewed by mutual agreement.
Beyond increasing the visibility of RMRDC’s interventions, the partnership is expected to create opportunities for women journalists to play a stronger role in reporting and advocacy around industrial development, innovation, raw materials utilisation and economic empowerment.
