The Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN) has raised concerns over looming food insecurity in the country, urging President Bola Tinubu to find lasting solutions to the soaring food prices and the widespread insecurity across the nation.
The Muslim women’s group expressed these concerns on Sunday in a communiqué issued at the end of the association’s 39th Annual National Conference held in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The women attributed the challenges facing the country to a deviation from Allah’s injunctions, noting that the entire system has become corrupted.
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The National President, Hajiya Ra’afiah Sanni, and the Public Relations Officer, Hajiya Maimuna Momodu, expressed their worries in the communiqué, stating that women bear the brunt of the problems as the prices of staple foods continue to rise.
The group also voiced concerns over the escalating insecurity in the country, emphasizing that the challenges are vast and should be everyone’s responsibility.
The communiqué read: “The Conference is worried about the high cost of food, goods, and services in the country and is concerned that women carry the bulk of the burden. FOMWAN notes with great concern the rising pace of insecurity in the country.
“These challenges stem from our deviation from Allah’s injunctions, which state that when a community engages in corruption, Allah has promised that it will be afflicted with famine and insecurity.
“These problematic situations could be prevented or remedied by adopting several measures, including acquiring optimum education—both Islamic and Western—skill acquisition to enhance women’s chances of securing paid employment, as well as engaging in self-sustaining activities to bolster their family’s economic security.”
FOMWAN lamented the lack of political patronage and other opportunities for women’s groups, noting that there are measures that could assist women in engaging in self-sustaining activities, which would enhance their family’s economic well-being.
The group also urged women to engage in political education and participation to increase female access to development opportunities, funding for investment, and other resources that benefit their family economy.
“We urge women to engage in political education and participation to increase female access to development opportunities, funding for investment, and other resources that benefit their family economy.
“We also encourage women to collaborate more closely with local, state, and federal government institutions and other non-governmental organizations to facilitate active participation in agriculture and employment opportunities for women and girls.
“FOMWAN should intensify its collaborations with relevant organizations to establish safe spaces for women and girls.
“To ensure the effective participation of women and girls in government interventions aimed at alleviating their troubling poverty situation, the government should enforce laws against criminals.
“FOMWAN affirms the need to ensure that women have a safe environment in which to carry out their activities, as this directly impacts their well-being.”
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