The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has inaugurated the Federal Steering Committee for the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up Project, describing the move as a key step in Nigeria’s drive towards gender equality, inclusive growth and sustainable development.
The inauguration took place on Friday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja. In a statement released on Saturday by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jonathan Eze, the minister said the Nigeria for Women Programme had grown into the country’s most prominent women’s economic empowerment initiative.
She said the scale-up phase would extend the programme to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, building on lessons learned from the first phase, which ran from 2018 to 2024. According to her, the expanded project combines financial inclusion, livelihood support and social protection within a single national framework.
“We are replacing fragmented interventions with a systemic model that positions women as the drivers of Nigeria’s inclusive growth, resilience, and long-term stability,” she said.
Hon. Sulaiman-Ibrahim explained that the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up aligns with the Nigeria Women Economic Empowerment Policy, the World Bank’s Global Crises Response Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals related to gender equality and peace.
She added that although the project was around 18 months behind schedule, implementation had already begun in 18 states and was rated satisfactory during a recent World Bank Implementation Support Mission.
“The success of this scale-up depends on every one of us here. When we empower a woman, we empower a household, and when we empower millions of women, we recalibrate an entire economy,” she said.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Dr. Mariam Ismaila Keshinro, described the inauguration as another milestone in efforts to expand women’s economic inclusion. She said the programme, supported by the World Bank, had addressed barriers limiting women’s productivity, income and participation in economic activities.
Dr. Keshinro said the parent project empowered thousands of women between 2018 and 2024 through access to finance, capacity building and the formation of Women Affinity Groups, adding that the scale-up would reach millions more.
The National Coordinator of the Nigeria for Women Project, Dr. Hadiza Maina, said the scale-up aims to reach about four million women nationwide, while a representative of the World Bank, Mr. Michael Ilesanmi, reaffirmed continued support for the initiative.
The Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, and the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, also said the programme aligns with Nigeria’s national development priorities.
