The Federal Government has announced the full-scale expansion of the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, targeting over four million women across the country to boost financial inclusion, livelihood support, and social protection.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Federal Steering Committee for the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up Project in Abuja, the Minister of Women Affairs, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said the initiative marks a transformative phase in Nigeria’s social protection and women’s economic empowerment agenda.
According to the minister, the scale-up builds on lessons from the initial phase of the programme, which ran from 2018 to 2024, and aligns with the national Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Agenda, as well as the Nigeria Women Economic Empowerment Policy (WEE). She disclosed that although the project took off 18 months later than planned, it is already operational in about 18 states and has been rated “satisfactory” by the World Bank after its latest implementation support mission.
“The NFWP-SU is a resilient economic base model designed to build a national network of micro-entrepreneurs, savers, and borrowers who form the bedrock of a stable economy,” Sulaiman-Ibrahim said.
She added, “We aim to reach about four million women across the nation, advancing SDG 5 on gender equality and SDG 16 on peace and social cohesion.”
The minister expressed concern about the high level of gender inequality in economic participation, revealing that about 70 per cent of Nigerian women live in extreme poverty, with only 10 per cent having access to land ownership. She added that women earn 45 to 50 per cent less than men in similar roles and that only 34 per cent of women have access to digital technology, compared to 88 per cent of men.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim explained that the scale-up phase would replace fragmented interventions with a comprehensive model that can reshape local economies, reduce household vulnerability, and position women as key drivers of inclusive growth and economic stability.
She noted that the initiative also aligns with the World Bank Group’s Global Crisis Response Framework, particularly in addressing food insecurity through support for agricultural productivity and climate-resilient livelihoods. The minister highlighted the importance of collaboration with partner ministries such as Agriculture, Health, Water Resources, Finance, Environment, Communications, and Digital Economy in achieving the project’s goals.
“When we empower a woman, we empower a household; and when we empower millions of women, we recalibrate an entire economy,” she said. She called on all implementing partners to work together to sustain the project’s progress and ensure that it delivers meaningful results.
Delivering his goodwill message, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, described the inauguration as a major step toward institutionalising women’s empowerment and inclusive economic growth. He noted that the Terms of Reference and Work Plan adopted by the steering committee would promote coordination, transparency, and measurable impact across all levels of implementation.
Representing the World Bank Country Director, Mr. Michael Ilesanmi, commended the Nigerian government for scaling up the initiative and reaffirmed the Bank’s continued support. He said the Nigeria for Women Project remains the largest women’s economic empowerment programme in Africa and has become a model for similar projects in other countries.
“The world is looking up to Nigeria on how to do women’s economic empowerment right,” Ilesanmi said. He added that the scale-up is expected to create access to finance and markets for about five million women and their households, helping to reduce poverty and stimulate growth in local economies.
Other goodwill messages came from representatives of the Ministries of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Industry, Trade and Investment, and Communications and Digital Economy. They each pledged their ministries’ support to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of the project nationwide.
In her vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Dr. Maryam Adebola, appreciated the World Bank and other partners for their continued collaboration. She reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to building “a framework that lifts women, families, and communities toward national prosperity.”
Stakeholders at the event agreed that the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up represents a crucial step toward bridging gender inequality and driving inclusive growth under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
With Nigerian women contributing between 70 and 80 per cent of agricultural labour but still largely excluded from land ownership and financial services, the NFWP-SU is expected to empower millions of women through access to finance, training, and sustainable livelihood opportunities.