The Federal Government has taken a decisive step toward expanding women's economic empowerment across Nigeria with the inauguration of the Federal Technical Committee for the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up.
Government Reaffirms Commitment to Women's Economic Inclusion
During the inauguration ceremony held in Abuja on Tuesday, Dr. Maryam Keshinro, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, emphasized that the committee's establishment demonstrates the government's strong commitment to strengthening women-focused interventions and accelerating inclusive national development.
Dr. Keshinro described the NFWP-SU as a transformative expansion of the pioneering Nigeria for Women Project, which operated successfully from 2018 to 2024 in six pilot states: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Niger, Ogun, and Taraba.
The original project achieved remarkable results, reaching over 460,000 women through the formation of 22,000 Women Affinity Groups and mobilizing more than N4.4 billion in collective savings among participants.
Addressing Persistent Gender Gaps in Economic Participation
The Permanent Secretary expressed deep concern about the significant gender disparities that continue to hinder women's economic participation in Nigeria. She revealed startling statistics that highlight the urgency of the scale-up initiative.
Seventy percent of Nigerian women live in extreme poverty and have only about 10 percent access to their own land. Despite women performing 70-80 percent of agricultural labor, they occupy only 20 percent of board representation positions.
The gender pay gap remains substantial, with women earning 45-50 percent less than men in similar roles. The digital divide is equally concerning, as only 34 percent of women have digital access compared to 88 percent of men.
Approved in June 2024, the scale-up phase aims to extend the programme to all states while deepening its impact by integrating financial inclusion, livelihood support, and social protection into a unified national framework.
Strategic Implementation and Enhanced Digital Tools
Dr. Hadiza Maina, the National Project Coordinator, presented a progress report indicating ongoing engagements with state governments, development partners, financial institutions, and community leaders to ensure programme ownership and sustainability.
The scale-up phase will introduce enhanced digital tools for monitoring, real-time reporting, and improved delivery of financial and livelihood support to participants. The programme is prioritizing capacity-building in climate-smart agriculture, small-scale enterprise development, and digital financial literacy.
Dr. Maina stated that their goal extends beyond economic benefits, aiming to create resilient networks of women capable of withstanding economic shocks, supporting household welfare, and contributing meaningfully to both local and national economies.
The World Bank's Co-Task Team Lead, Dr. Yetunde Fatogun, commended the Federal Government for scaling up a project that has demonstrated measurable impact in improving women's productivity, income, and resilience. She emphasized that the scale-up comes at a crucial time when global economic uncertainties and climate-related shocks disproportionately affect women.
Committee members drawn from key technical departments across multiple ministries have been charged with providing strategic guidance, ensuring inter-ministerial coordination, and delivering timely technical support to enhance programme implementation.
