The Chevening Alumni Association Nigeria (CAAN), in partnership with DO Take Action, will convene a high-level stakeholders engagement forum in Kano State to advance gender-responsive procurement.
The two-day event, scheduled for February 4 and 5, is organised under the Scaling Women’s Economic Empowerment through Affirmative Procurement (SWEEAP) initiative and supported by the Chevening Alumni Programme Fund of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
The organisers said the forum is part of a series of strategic engagements aimed at strengthening inclusive public procurement systems, deepening policy conversations, and expanding opportunities for women-owned and led businesses across Nigeria.
SWEEAP seeks to address persistent gender gaps in public procurement by supporting government institutions to adopt gender-responsive budgeting and gender-responsive procurement frameworks, while equipping women-owned and led businesses with the skills and knowledge needed to access government contracting opportunities competitively.
The forum will take place at the Sa’adu Zungur Auditorium complex, Mambayya House, Kano.
Activities will begin on Wednesday, February 4, with a train-the-trainers workshop targeted at procurement officers, gender desk officers, and civil society actors.
The session will focus on practical approaches to mainstreaming gender-responsive principles into procurement and budgeting processes, with an emphasis on sustainability and institutional adoption at the state level.
The main engagement forum will hold on Thursday, February 5, under the theme “Advancing Gender-Responsive Budgeting and Affirmative Procurement for Inclusive Development in Nigeria”.
The event is expected to bring together senior government officials, policymakers, development partners, private sector leaders, women entrepreneurs, and civil society organisations to examine policy gaps, share best practices, and explore collaborative approaches to strengthening affirmative procurement in Kano.
The event will also feature the graduation of women entrepreneurs who have completed the SWEEAP capacity-building programme, marking their readiness to engage with public procurement systems and contribute to inclusive economic growth.
Speaking on the initiative, Oluwafunmilayo Ladepo, Chevening programme officer at the British High Commission in Nigeria, said the UK government was pleased to support initiatives that strengthen institutional capacity and promote inclusive governance.
“Convenings such as this in Kano State are critical to advancing gender-responsive procurement and driving sustainable economic inclusion,” she said.
Kester Osahenye, president of CAAN, said the initiative is a demonstration of how alumni-led efforts could contribute to development outcomes by supporting practical reforms that make procurement systems more inclusive.
On her part, Precious Ebere Chinonso, chief executive officer of DO Take Action, described affirmative procurement as a powerful tool for advancing women’s economic empowerment through public sector systems.
