Sokoto — First Lady, Hajiya Turai Yar'adua has challenged civil society agencies to partner with government to drastically reduce poverty and ensure women empowerment in line with the millennium development goal.

She also said to effectively curb the menace of human trafficking and child abuse, poverty needs to be adequately checked and tackled in its entirety.

Yar'Adua stated this at the opening session of the 23 rd Annual National Conference of the Federation of Muslim Women's Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) held in Sokoto.

The First Lady, who was represented by Minster of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Saudatu Bungudu identified poverty as the root cause of human trafficking, child abuse and other social ills in the society.

She noted that the greatest impediment to the advancement and empowerment of women all over the world remains discrimination against women, pointing out that the disempowerment and discrimination of women will be reduced to the barest minimum, if women and the girl-child are educationally empowered to contribute their quota to national development.

In his remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar called on FOMWAN to continue to promote the cause of Islam and urged that whatever is learnt during the conference will be beneficial for the further development of the Muslim community.

Equally, the Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko pledged his administration's commitment to continue to accord top priority to women education and Islamic activities.

Also speaking, National President of FOMWAN, Dr, Lateefah Duronsinmi said the association's mission is to improve the socio-economic populace of the populace especially women youths and children.

She expressed concern over the high rate of maternal and infant mortality in the country and called on the federal government to

provide functional reproductive health care system in the country to check the trend.

Lateefah also urged governments at all levels to set as a priority, practical social programmes aimed at eradicating poverty and assisting the disadvantaged ones in the society even as she called on all to help in alleviating poverty in different ways.