Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State on Monday pledged to increase governmental collaborations with United Nations (UN) agencies on enhancing peoples’ lives and environmental development in the state.

Tambuwal made the commitment when he signed an agreement and action plan for “Spotlight Initiative’’, a UN project to eliminate violence against women and girls in Sokoto.

He said that his administration, since inception, had prioritized education in recognition of its status on facilitating empowerment where it declared state of emergency in the sector.

He stressed that the efforts yielded positive impacts on enrollment, retention, and completion as well as on infrastructural development.

According to him, more subsidies, incentives and other support are provided to encourage small scale and large scale farmers across the state.

The UN Secretary Representative in Nigeria and Coordinator of Spotlight Initiative, Mr. Edward Kallon, said that the initiative ”is a global, multi-year partnership between European Union and UN to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls by 2030.

”It is the world’s largest targeted effort to end all forms of violence against women and girls.

”The initiative is so named as it brings focused attention to this issue, moving it into the spotlight and placing it at the centre of efforts to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment.

“ In line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the initiative will fully integrate the principle of leaving no one behind.

“ Gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment are at the heart of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development and crucial to its achievement.”