Obi made the call on Thursday, October 15, to mark the International Day of Rural Women, saying women in rural communities play vital roles in food production, family welfare and the growth of local economies but remain among the most neglected by government.
As part of activities marking the day, Obi said he visited members of the Akpu Sellers Association at their markets in Sheda and Sheda Galadima, within the Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, to understand their living conditions and business challenges.
According to him, the women expressed concerns about worsening economic hardship, declining patronage, inadequate water supply and the need for microcredit to sustain and expand their businesses.
Obi said he assured them of his commitment to supporting rural women and other Nigerians, stressing that empowering small businesses would be central to his efforts to reduce poverty.
“Supporting their enterprises will be one of our priorities because it is essential to my central commitment to lifting our people out of poverty,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor paid tribute to millions of rural women who cultivate farmland, produce food, support their families and sustain economic activities in communities across the country.
He noted that despite their contributions to national development, many rural women continued to face insecurity, rising poverty, limited access to affordable credit and inadequate healthcare services.
Obi argued that these challenges required deliberate government policies and investments to improve rural livelihoods and create opportunities for women to become economically independent.
He maintained that supporting rural women should go beyond public recognition on an international observance day to include practical interventions that address the difficulties they encounter in their daily lives.
In his message, Obi said his engagement with the Akpu Sellers Association reflected his commitment to building a country where rural communities receive adequate investment and women have opportunities to prosper regardless of where they live.
“My solidarity with rural women demonstrates my commitment to building a Nigeria where those who sustain our nation are empowered to prosper, rural communities receive the investments they rightly deserve, and no woman is deprived of opportunity because of her place of residence,” he said.
Obi also commended rural women for their resilience amid mounting economic pressures, which he attributed to what he described as poor government policies, incompetence and the mismanagement of national resources.
He called for a Nigeria in which women engaged in agriculture, trading and other rural enterprises could access the resources and public services needed to improve their livelihoods.
“A New Nigeria must support rural women,” he declared.
Obi concluded by expressing optimism about the country’s future, reiterating his familiar message that a new and better-governed Nigeria was achievable.
“A New Nigeria is POssible, and will be OK,” he said.
The International Day of Rural Women is observed annually on October 15 to recognise the contributions of rural women to agriculture, food security, poverty reduction and community development, while drawing attention to the barriers they face in accessing resources and opportunities.
