FG has targetted the empowerment of 10 million women to drive $1 trillion economy ambition.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Federal Government has announced the activation of economic empowerment initiatives for no fewer than 10 million Nigerian women, as part of its strategy to achieve the $1 trillion economy target by 2030.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, disclosed this during a high-level sideline event at the 2025 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, themed “Scaling Women’s Economic Empowerment: Financing Inclusive Growth for Peace, Development, and Human Rights – Lessons from Nigeria for Women Project.”
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Representing President Bola Tinubu at the 80th UNGA, Vice President Kashim Shettima reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to inclusive growth.
Women Empowerment as a Growth Catalyst
Sulaiman-Ibrahim said the empowerment drive is anchored on targeted projects and interventions, notably the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP), which she described as the country’s most significant women’s economic empowerment platform.
She revealed that under the first phase of NFWP, over 460,000 women were mobilised into Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) across multiple states. These groups collectively saved an estimated ₦4.9 billion, while over 330,000 women accessed livelihood grants and thousands were linked to financial institutions, national ID, and health insurance schemes.
Following its successful pilot in six states, the project has now been scaled nationwide.
“The Women Affinity Groups have become platforms of voice, social capital, and economic agency. They are transforming communities, lowering household vulnerability, and strengthening democracy from below,” she said.
Expanding the Impact
The minister stressed that the initiative will directly impact over 50 million women, children, and vulnerable groups across all 774 LGAs. Beyond financial empowerment, the programme integrates agriculture, clean energy, logistics, digital access, and mobile services.
“This is not just social protection—it is a full-scale transformation of how women’s empowerment is delivered in Nigeria,” she added.
Governors Back the Initiative
Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazak of Kwara State, represented by Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, noted that the NFWP demonstrates how sustained and targeted financing can transform families and communities.
He disclosed that the programme, which began in six states, is now active in 15, with commitments from 32 states overall. So far, over 46,000 women have organised into 22,000 affinity groups, collectively saving ₦4.4 billion to support small businesses.
Broad Stakeholder Support
Other dignitaries at the UNGA event included Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud; Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal; Plateau Governor, Caleb Mutfwang; Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa; and the First Lady of Zamfara State, Hajiya Huriyya Lawal.
The Charge d’Affaires at Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Samson Itegboje, and Prof. Kabir Mato, were also present.
The Tinubu administration’s $1 trillion economy ambition is a core pillar of its “Renewed Hope Agenda”, with an inter-ministerial committee inaugurated in April to drive the process under the Nigeria First policy framework.
