Date: 19 August, 2025
Locations: Vwang (Jos South LGA) & Tudun Wada (Jos North LGA)

In a bold step from training to action, women and adolescent girls in Vwang and Tudun Wada communities have taken their voices to the forefront of development conversations- demanding better roads, fair access to farm inputs, improved security, and empowerment opportunities.

This civic action follows a Women and Girls’ Empowerment Training Programme implemented by the Development Research and Project Centre (dRPC) through its NGO Support Initiative (NSI), in partnership with Heal the Youth Foundation (HTYF), a Jos-based NGO dedicated to Grassroots Empowerment.

The programme trained 50 Women and 20 Adolescent Girls in Vwang on Leadership, Advocacy, and Enterprise Development. The goal was Simple yet Transformative: to strengthen women’s participation in decision-making and ensure community development becomes a shared responsibility.

From Training Halls to Village Squares

Following the training, participants convened village square meetings with traditional rulers and community stakeholders in both Vwang and Tudun Wada to present priority concerns.

Key issues raised included:

• Limited financial capacity to expand businesses and improve household nutrition.
• Poor access roads to farmlands, limiting production and marketing.
• Difficulty accessing fertilizer and essential farm inputs.
• Inadequate educational facilities and absence of a skills acquisition centre.

A Call for Action in Vwang

On 15 August 2025, Mrs. Paulina Yakubu, leader of the Sago VSLA women group, led a delegation to the palace of the Gwom Rwey of Vwang, Da Gyang Choji Ballak.

The women requested:

• Inclusion in Empowerment and Government Social Intervention Programmes.
• Concrete steps by the Traditional Council to enhance security of farmlands.
• Lobbying for construction and rehabilitation of access roads.
• Deliberate inclusion of Women in the distribution of fertilizer and farm inputs.

Responding, the Gwom Rwey applauded dRPC’s NSI and HTYF for their sustained Community work. He revealed that a 27.3 km road project covering several villages has already been surveyed and proposed for the 2026 budget. He further urged the Women to register with the Berom Women Development Association (BEWDA) to strengthen their chances of accessing support from Government and Philanthropists.

As a sign of encouragement, the Gwom Rwey contributed ₦20,000 to the Sago VSLA Women’s savings group and pledged his continuous support.

At Tudun Wada, a similar engagement was held on 19 August 2025,
at the residence of Gwom Jishe, Da Ezekiel Kwon Dalyop, Tudun Wada, who commended the Women’s Initiative and promised to escalate their demands to relevant authorities, affirming that Women’s voices must not be left behind in development.

Conclusion & Next Steps

These Community Engagements mark a new chapter in Grassroots Civic Participation in Jos South and Jos North. Women and Adolescent Girls are no longer just recipients of interventions but active advocates for change.

The way forward include:

• Registering Women’s groups with BEWDA and other networks to access formal support.
• Continued advocacy to Local and State Authorities for road construction, water supply, and farmland security.
• Ensuring women’s inclusion in agricultural input distribution schemes.
• Linking VSLAs, Skills Centres, and Empowerment Programmes to expand livelihoods and financial independence.

From Vwang to Tudun Wada, the message is clear: “when women are trained, they mobilise; and when they mobilise, Communities are transformed”.

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From Training to Action: Jos Women Mobilise for Roads, Inputs, and Security