Governor Ahmed said this at the 1st Kwara Progressives Women Summit held in Ilorin, stressing that it was in the best interest of the country that women are accorded greater recognition.

"It is in the interest of our current and future generations to create more spaces for our women to express themselves and achieve their maximum potential, especially in the political sphere where women are still under represented".

Governor Ahmed said the theme of the summit "Real Development and Women Participation: An Agenda for positive Change" coincides with the efforts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governments to profer structural solutions to national challenges.

"While affirmative action has seen more women occupy political offices, we must do more and reserve a higher proportion of economic opportunities such as access to credit and other empowerment for women", he said.

The Governor said his administration ensured that significant share of the 10,200 jobs it created went to female youths while a high number of the 41,000 small business owners that have benefited from its N700m micro credit scheme were women.

The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun, represented by the party's Deputy Chairman, South West, Mr Segun Oni said the party remained a credible platform for the provision of qualitative governance in the country.

The Convener of the Summit, Princess Olufunke Adedoyin said it was designed as a vehicle for galvanizing and engendering greater female political activities and participation across the State, adding that the summit would address issues that concern when and harness ideas and suggestive to move the state forward.