The Federal Government has inaugurated a Steering Committee to scale up a women’s empowerment project across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, marking a major step in strengthening social protection and women’s economic participation nationwide.

The inauguration of the Federal Steering Committee took place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, and signals the full national expansion of the Nigeria for Women Program Scale-Up Project, known as NFWP-SU, which is designed to deepen women’s economic empowerment and improve livelihoods across communities.

In her keynote address, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, , described the project as the most significant platform for advancing women’s economic empowerment in the country. She said the initiative goes beyond routine government programmes and should be seen as a central pillar of national development.

“Women’s economic empowerment is not an Any Other Business agenda but the engine room of peace, development, and human progress,” the Minister stated, stressing that empowering women has direct impacts on households, communities, and the wider economy.

The NFWP-SU represents a strategic evolution from its parent project, which ran from 2018 to 2024. Under the scale-up, the programme is expanding to all 36 states and the FCT, introducing a unified and systemic model that replaces fragmented interventions previously implemented across different locations.

According to the Minister, the scale-up consolidates financial inclusion, livelihood support, and social protection under one national delivery platform, which also includes the FG NFWP grant. This approach will transform Women Affinity Groups into permanent economic institutions that are better linked to formal financial systems, markets, and public services.

She explained that the initiative is designed to build a resilient economic base by creating a national network of micro-entrepreneurs, savers, and borrowers. “It is a resilient economic base model that builds a national network of micro-entrepreneurs, savers, and borrowers who form the bedrock of a stable economy,” she said.

Despite starting about 18 months behind schedule, the project has recorded steady progress. It has been successfully launched in 18 states and was recently rated satisfactory by an Implementation Support Mission, reflecting improvements in delivery and coordination.

The Minister noted that the success of the programme has also created new challenges. She disclosed that the project was initially designed to cover a maximum of 23 states, but due to strong demand and results, resources are now being stretched to support activities in 32 states. As a result, she indicated interest in securing additional financing to sustain and expand the intervention.

The newly inaugurated Steering Committee is a multi-sectoral body drawing expertise from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. Its responsibilities include setting overall policy guidelines, endorsing annual work plans and budgets, monitoring progress, and facilitating coordination among all implementing institutions involved in the project.

“Let us remember: when we empower a woman, we empower a household, and when we empower millions of women, we recalibrate an entire economy. For us in Nigeria, we are demonstrating that women’s economic empowerment is not charity; it is nation-building, peace-building, and climate action rolled into one,” the Minister said.

She urged key partner ministries, including Agriculture, Environment, Health, Water Resources and Sanitation, Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, and Communications and Digital Economy, to provide strong oversight and technical input. “Your ministries provide the essential expertise we cannot do without. We will rely on you for strategic oversight and to ensure our efforts are perfectly synchronized,” she added.

The Country Director of the , represented by Senior Social Welfare Development Specialist, Mr. Michael Ilesami, explained that the project was designed to adopt a holistic and multi-sectoral approach. “Any program aimed at women’s empowerment requires a multi-dimensional, multi-sectoral and holistic approach. This is what informed the design and implementation of the Nigeria for Women Program Scale Up Project,” he said.

He outlined the core objectives of the project, noting that through Women Affinity Groups, women are supported to access credit, savings, and insurance services, improve their social status, promote social capital, reduce poverty, and engage in advocacy and collective action. He added that the project’s success in Nigeria has made it a global flagship, influencing similar programmes in countries such as Tanzania, South Sudan, Liberia, Uganda, and Afghanistan.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, described the inauguration as a milestone in the collective resolve to improve women’s lives. She said the responsibility before the committee was not only technical but moral, as the hopes of millions of Nigerian women are tied to its work.

She expressed gratitude to the Minister for her support and thanked partners and stakeholders for their commitment. The committee was also presented with an eight-month action plan for immediate endorsement, marking the formal start of the national scale-up phase.