At the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Federal Government of Nigeria unveiled an ambitious plan to economically empower 10 million Nigerian women as part of its broader strategy to achieve a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
Speaking at a high-level sideline event themed “Scaling Women’s Economic Empowerment: Financing Inclusive Growth for Peace, Development, and Human Rights – Lessons from Nigeria for Women Project,” the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, emphasized the transformative potential of investing in women.
“We are not just empowering women—we are reshaping communities, strengthening democracy from the grassroots, and building a resilient economy,” said Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
The initiative is anchored on the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP), which has already mobilized over 460,000 women into Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) across multiple states. These groups have collectively saved over ₦4.9 billion, accessed livelihood grants, and gained links to formal financial institutions, national ID systems, and health insurance schemes.
Following a successful pilot in six states, the programme has now expanded nationwide. The FG has also launched the Renewed Hope Social Impact Interventions – 774 (RH-SII774), a gender-responsive framework designed to reach over 50 million women, children, and vulnerable persons across all 774 Local Government Areas.
This integrated delivery architecture spans agriculture, clean energy, logistics, digital access, and mobile services—addressing systemic challenges such as gender inequality, family instability, and digital exclusion.
Representing President Bola Tinubu at UNGA, Vice President Kashim Shettima reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to inclusive development, while Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, described the initiative as both a moral imperative and an economic necessity.