The federal government has opened applications for women to benefit from the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP), an empowerment programme designed to improve women’s livelihoods through skills training, group support, and access to livelihood grants. The programme is supported by the World Bank and focuses on helping economically active women strengthen their businesses and income at the community level.
The NFWP was created to support women who are already engaged in small-scale economic activities but face challenges such as limited capital, weak business skills, and poor access to financial services. The programme works mainly through Women Affinity Groups, which are community-based groups where women save together, receive training, and access support.
The NFWP grant is provided as livelihood support rather than a general cash handout. In previous phases, individual livelihood grants ranged from about ₦30,000 to ₦60,000 per woman, depending on the state and phase of implementation.
Some Women Affinity Groups also received larger collective funding to support group-based enterprises and revolving savings schemes. Access to grants is usually linked to training participation, savings activities, and group performance.
Objectives of the Programme
The main objective of the NFWP is to improve women’s livelihoods and economic participation. It aims to increase women’s income, strengthen business skills, and promote financial inclusion. Another key goal is to build social capital by encouraging women to work collectively through Women Affinity Groups.
The programme also seeks to reduce barriers that limit women’s access to finance, markets, and productive resources, especially in rural and semi-urban communities.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for the NFWP grant, applicants must be women aged 18 years and above who are economically active. This means applicants should already be involved in some form of income-generating activity.
Participants must also live in participating local government areas within states covered by the programme.
Willingness to join or form a Women Affinity Group is mandatory, as the programme does not support individual participation outside these groups. Importantly, there is no registration or application fee required at any stage.
Existing micro and informal businesses. Supported activities include trading, small-scale farming, food processing, tailoring, hairdressing, artisan work, and other services commonly run by women. Group-based agricultural or processing enterprises are also supported where Women Affinity Groups operate collectively.
There is no fixed nationwide deadline for applying for the NFWP grant. Registration and participation are ongoing and depend on state rollout and community engagement. Grant disbursement happens in phases and is tied to programme milestones, not first-come-first-served applications.
How to Apply for the NFWP Grant
Interested women should visit the official NFWP portal and complete the online registration.
After registration, applicants are guided to join or form a Women Affinity Group in their community. Active participation in group meetings, training sessions, and savings activities is required before any financial support is considered.
Apply via nfwp.gov.ng/register.
