• Super Admin
• 08 Mar, 2026

The Federal Government has outlined an ambitious package of programmes aimed at expanding women's economic empowerment, strengthening families, and improving social protection systems as Nigeria marks the 2026 International Women's Day (IWD). The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, disclosed this in Abuja during a press briefing to commemorate the 2026 IWD and announce Nigeria's preparations for the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70). The minister said the commemoration goes beyond ceremony and serves as a moment for the government to review progress made in advancing the rights and opportunities of women and girls, while outlining new interventions to accelerate gender equality. She noted that under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the government is implementing policies designed to place women, families, and vulnerable populations at the centre of national development under the Renewed Hope Agenda. Sulaiman-Ibrahim emphasised that empowering women is both a social and economic imperative, noting that global studies show every dollar invested in women's economic empowerment yields between seven and twelve dollars in economic returns. She added that closing the gender financing gap for women-owned small and medium enterprises in Nigeria could unlock an estimated $14.8 billion in annual economic value. According to her, the government views gender equality as critical to achieving Nigeria's long-term economic growth targets, including the vision of building a $1 trillion economy. "This year's theme, 'Rights, Justice, Action for All Women and Girls,' reminds us that equality must be institutionalised and that policy must translate into measurable progress for women and girls," she said. The minister also highlighted progress in Nigeria's social protection framework, revealing that national social safety net programmes have expanded significantly over the past decade. She said that while fewer than one million households were enrolled in formal social protection programmes in 2015, the number has grown to over 9.4 million households in 2026, with women accounting for more than 70 percent of primary beneficiaries. According to her, this expansion represents one of the most significant growths in Nigeria's social safety net architecture since independence. Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that Nigeria's efforts to advance gender equality are supported by key legal instruments, including the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act and the Child Rights Act. She revealed that all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory have now adopted the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) law or equivalent legislation, compared with only 15 states that had domesticated the law as of 2015. The minister also disclosed that the ministry is currently reviewing the National Child Protection Policy after an 18-year gap to strengthen safeguards against child abuse, trafficking, child marriage, and other vulnerabilities affecting children. In addition, the ministry has launched the National Action Plan to End Violence Against Children and developed more than 43 policies, guidelines, and draft bills to strengthen gender equality and child protection systems. The minister announced several flagship programmes under the Renewed Hope Social Impact Interventions 774 aimed at expanding women's participation in the economy. Among them is the EmpowerHer774 programme, a nationwide initiative designed to provide livelihood support, enterprise development services, digital inclusion, and social protection to women across all 774 local government areas of the country. She called for support for the proposed Reserved Special Seats Bill, aimed at increasing women's representation in governance. According to her, mentorship, training, and structured leadership pipelines are also needed to prepare young women for leadership roles. "Nigeria will lead a broad national delegation to the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the country's mission to the United Nations," she said. The engagement will allow Nigeria to advance its priorities on gender equality and poverty reduction while strengthening Africa's voice in shaping global norms on women's rights and development. The minister acknowledged the support of government agencies, development partners, civil society organisations, and the private sector in advancing gender equality initiatives. She urged stakeholders to sustain collaboration to translate policy commitments into tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerian women, children, and families. Source: https://newtelegraphng.com/iwd-fg-launches-empowerment-drive-for-women/