Minister, NCWS, others back renaming Women Centre after Maryam Babangida

By Adeleye Kunle

The Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen; the President of National Council for Women Societies, NCWS, Hajia Lami Adamu Lau; the President of the National Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Ladi Bala and other women groups on Tuesday threw their weights behind the legislative move to rename the National Centre for Women Development, (NCWD) after its founder and former First Lady, late Mrs Maryam Babangida.

The Centre was established in 1992 and named after the late First Lady as its initiator but changed to NCWD in 1994 during the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha.

The stakeholders spoke at a one-day public hearing on “The National Centre for Women Developmental Act CAP N15, LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill, 2022 to enhance the functions of the Centre and rename the Centre after H.E. late Dr. Maryam Babangida and for related matters (SB. 1042)” organised by the Senate Committee on Women Affairs.

In her remarks at the event, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Senator Betty Apiafi, said the Bill she sponsored seeks to amend the principal Act by renaming the Centre as the Dr. Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development.

She said the development was to appreciate late Babangida’s outstanding contributions to the upliftment of Nigerian women and national development