Wives of state governors and key government officials among others rose from a summit with a call on all stakeholders to have a change of attitude towards First Ladies.
There have been debates around the legality of the positions of First Ladies in the country particularly since the nation’s constitution does not make provision for such.
But participants at the summit said not all positions or functions in government require constitutional backing.
The summit tagged ‘Emerging trends in the role of the First Lady in National Development’ was organised by the Office of the First Lady of Nigeria in collaboration with Women and National Development in Abuja on Thursday.
The summit’s communique was however made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday.
The communique was jointly signed by the wife of the Edo State governor and summit chairman, Dr Betsy Obaseki; and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women Affairs and Administration (Office of the First Lady), Dr Hajo Sani.
It read in part, “Summit speakers called for a change in attitudes and mindsets towards First Ladies. Women who occupy the positions have a lot to offer beyond traditional roles as wives and mothers.
“It was also observed that not all positions or functions in government require constitutional backing. The Office of the First Lady at the national and state levels is indispensable because of the role it plays in facilitating services for the poor and vulnerable, its ability to respond to the needs of the most marginalised such as women and children, and its capacity to build bridges between the people and political leadership.
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“The efforts that First Ladies make in mobilising political machinery, the vast majority of these being female voters, is also another indication of how valuable the role is. Many countries around the world and across Africa have formally recognised the Office of the First Lady.
“The African Union has facilitated the Organisation of African First Ladies for many years, recognising the unique and important roles that they play. Here in Nigeria, the Office of the First Lady has gradually and progressively evolved over the years and First Ladies have contributed in no small measure towards the development and growth of the country.”
Participants resolved that policy and administrative measures are required at national and state levels to formally accommodate the existence of the Office of the First Lady as a complement to inclusive governance.
This, they said, would also foster more accountability and transparency in governance.
They encouraged every First Lady to champion an issue or a cause.
It was also noted that projects should be structured as sustainable legacy projects and not programmes that will fold up after the initiator leaves office.
The summit discussed the dismal numbers of women in leadership and decision-making positions in Nigeria and challenged First Ladies to serve as mentors and champions in order to open doors for more women in public life.
The communique added, “Summit raised the importance of First Ladies as role models for women and youths. To this end, and in order to avoid negative perceptions and stereotypes, First Ladies were encouraged to live up to expectations by being approachable and inclusive.
“Summit pointed out that projects implemented by First Ladies should not be referred to as ‘Pet Projects’ because such terminology trivialises the importance of the initiatives.
“Summit urged First Ladies to support advocacy initiatives that will facilitate laws and policies to ensure lasting institutional change to tackle key social issues such as gender-based violence, health, education of the girl-child and other important issues.”
