The wife of Nigeria’s President, Dame Patience Jonathan, says the role of women in the overall development of any nation cannot be overemphasised.

Mrs. Jonathan stated this Friday at the opening ceremony of the first Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, West African Sub-region conference, in Port Harcourt.

Represented by the wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Helen David Mark, the wife of the President remarked that women hold greater stake in the socio-economic and political development of any society.

She noted that Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians have come a long way and commended them for impacting positively on government policies and legislations in the region, especially in the areas of violence against women, child rights abuse among others.

While thanking Governor Chibuike Amaechi and the various legislations they have made towards the upliftment  of womanhood in the state, Dame Jonathan said the theme of the conference “Women Working Together For A Better Tomorrow” could  not have come at a better time than now when issues of women development is at the front burner of national and international discourse.

In his speech, the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi thanked the West African sub-region for coming to the state and urged them to use the conference to showcase the brilliance and intelligence of the African woman.

Governor Amaechi further stressed the need for Africans to continue to project the image of the African continent, as he said he believed that “Africans are not what the world says they are but what they think they are”.

The governor who challenged women especially those from Rivers State to move from doing things that are of less value, to those things that promote womanhood and make positive  changes, noted that women are important but they hardly realise that.

Also speaking, the wife of Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi said she was happy for the choice of Rivers to host the first Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, West African Sub-region conference.

The Governor’s wife pointed out that hosting of the conference in Port Harcourt less than a year after the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association African region conference was held in the state capital was an eloquent testimony of the cordial relationship between the state governor and the state legislature.

She lauded the present administration for vigorously pursuing polices and progrmames aimed at alleviating the plight of women in the state.