Lagos State Government has launched a policy that will enhance gender inclusivity and give women better chances of clinching Government contracts.
Launched on Friday, through the state’s Public Procurement Agency, the policy will help to correct the disparity between the number of men that have access to public procurement and their women folks.
The Lagos State Gender Responsive Procurement Policy (GRP) aims to give more opportunities to women to have access to contracts from the government.
Director General of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Fatai Onafowote, while speaking at a Media Forum on the Lagos State Gender Responsive Procurement Policy held in Lagos, noted that women entrepreneurs have been marginalised in having access to public procurement for long.
”For far too long, women-owned businesses and women-led cooperatives have faced significant challenges ranging from limited access to finance and information to capacity constraints that have prevented them from participating fully in our state’s economic activities,” Onafowote said.
Adding that the new policy is ‘our commitment to dismantling those barriers and creating a more equitable and inclusive procurement environment,”
He noted that ‘the objectives of this policy is to provide greater access to procurement opportunities for women, to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge, and to create a procurement environment that values and promotes gender equality.’
In his remarks during the launch, Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, described the initiative as a good one which will allow more women to bid for and win contacts. “There should be more women in whatever we do. In the near future, we can see a female president or governor,” he said.
According to the Head of Contractor Registration Department of the agency, Adeola Sanwo, a survey conducted had revealed that out of 100 successful contract bidding, 80% are men while only 20% are women.
She therefore seeks for an executive order by the governor to make the implementation of the policy mandatory for all ministries and agencies.
“Our survey shows that 20% of women engage in public procurement. We want more women to benefit from government’s procurement. Women should be encouraged to take risks,” she said.
She urged the media to, through their writings, change the narratives against women and influence policy action that favours women.
Sanwo thanked the United Nations Women for their support and collaboration with the Lagos State government in championing gender equality and the empowerment of women.
