Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi says development plans of any society is not achievable without inclusion of gender equality and women’s emancipation programmes.
The Governor’s wife made this known in Ado Ekiti during stakeholders forum on Ekiti State Development Plan 2020-2050.
She remarked that women formed the highest percentage of the world’s population while the thirty years development plan remained a vital means of encouraging them to participate in politics, take leadership positions and engage in policy making.
Erelu Fayemi who explained that the plan would ensure development in all sectors of the state’s economy, noted that monitoring and adequate investment into it, would be given the priority it deserved.
The Ekiti State first lady however regretted that various development plans in some African countries were truncated due to poor monitoring and lack of political will but such would be prevented in the state.
Earlier, the State Commissioner for Budget and Economic planning, Mr Femi Ajayi noted that various stakeholders had been consulted on the long term planning, to give them a sense of belonging and accommodate suggestions from those that were concerned.
Contributing, the Senior special Assistance on civil society matters and senior programme officer, Mr Abiodun Oyeleye sought effective implementation of the development plan through proper legislation and policies to back up the whole idea to ensure its sustainability, even if the state have a change of government.
Also, the Lead Consultant for Ekiti Development Plan 2020-2050, Dr Adesina Fagbeniro said the plan had encapsulated what the state would look like in the next thirty years, interms of economy, infrastructure, education among others.
He said that such plans were needed to provide for the unborn generations so that the state would not be caught unaware interms of development in all sphere of economy in the nearest future.
Dr Fagbenro added that the plan would be achieved through the intervention of development partners including world Bank, Sustenable Development Goals, SDGs and United Nations Development Programme UNDP.
