By Chinelo Obogo

When President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, he promised a new era for Nigerian women, which he said would be one of economic empowerment, political inclusion and protection from violence. Two years later, his administration has had two different Ministers of Women Affairs, each bringing different strategies to push for gender equality.

From Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye’s audacious but controversial tenure, which started in August 2023 and ended in October 2024, to that of the current minister, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, who has deployed a policy-driven approach, the Ministry of Women Affairs has created initiatives ranging from skills acquisition programmes to legislative reforms. Both have championed the cause of Nigerian women. But how much progress has been made? Daily Sun examines the achievements, challenges and ongoing struggles in Nigeria’s fight for women’s rights under President Tinubu’s leadership.

Kennedy-Ohanenye’s tenure

Though Kennedy-Ohanenye’s tenure was brief, she laid strong emphasis on female empowerment and she had a hands-on direct approach to issues. Her focus was Child Rights and Protection, areas where she believed deserved immediate intervention in order to save lives. She swiftly intervened in cases of child abuse and street begging and advocated for the establishment of mobile courts to expedite trials related to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and child abuse. She championed the idea of moving beyond what she described as “audio empowerment” to concrete actions. One of the notable actions she took was collaborating with a Chinese company, Lima Machinery, on mechanised farming to boost women’s agricultural skills and productivity. She said she planned on establishing warehouses in each local government area to advertise women’s products globally.

In the fight against Gender-Based Violence, Kennedy-Ohanenye carried out awareness campaigns and worked with law enforcement agencies to reinforce legal structures. She met with traditional and religious leaders and sought their support to sensitise their followers against harmful cultural practices like female genital mutilation, particularly in rural communities. The issue of the Chibok girls was also part of her agenda. She proposed that more funds be budgeted for procuring machines and items for women’s empowerment.

Speaking about Kennedy-Ohanenye’s tenure, Obioma Agoziem, founder of the Centre for Corrections and Human Development, told Daily Sun that while the former minister was indeed controversial, she achieved success by drawing public attention to the plight of women and girls in Nigeria. Her advocacy and media presence ensured that women’s issues remained at the forefront of national discourse.

However, Kennedy-Ohanenye’s time in office was not without controversy. She once publicly threatened to sue the United Nations over alleged mismanagement of donor funds intended for women’s programs in Nigeria, a move that drew criticism from international partners. She also made controversial comments regarding the potential use of school children in production activities and faced criticism for her handling of several high-profile sexual harassment cases.

Hajiya Sulaiman-Ibrahim’s vision from October 2024 to present

Sulaiman-Ibrahim took over the reins of the ministry in October 2024 and her approach differs from that of Kennedy-Ohanenye. In various fora, she has consistently emphasised that economic empowerment stands as one of her passions and areas of focus. She has set a target to economically empower 10 million Nigerian women by 2027.

Under her leadership, several major initiatives have been launched or expanded. The World Bank-supported Nigeria for Women Scale-Up Project has commenced operations, with the aim of reaching 4.5 million women across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. This program provides financial literacy training, business development support, and assistance in establishing cooperative structures that enable women to access credit.

The MOWA-SARA Accelerated Skills Acquisition Programme, developed in collaboration with WEMA Bank, is currently underway with its initial phase being implemented in Kano State. This program targets 500,000 women for training in vocational skills, business entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. The choice of Kano State as the pilot location reflects the ministry’s commitment to reaching women in northern Nigeria.

The Ministry is also actively working to establish a National Microfinance Framework designed to bridge the gaps that have long hindered women entrepreneurs from scaling their businesses and create a more structured and accessible system for women to obtain the capital they need to start and expand their businesses.

Additional initiatives launched under Sulaiman-Ibrahim’s leadership include the “Renewed Hope Women Empowerment Scheme,”. The ministry has also developed the “Happy Woman App,” a digital platform designed to serve as a hub to connect women to opportunities, training programs, and support services.

Direct intervention programs have also been implemented, including a food assistance program designed to address the immediate needs of vulnerable women and their families during periods of economic hardship. The ministry has established platforms such as Women in Agro-Value Expansion (WAVE) and the Nigeria Women Trade Village both aimed at creating economic opportunities for women in agriculture and trade respectively.

The current administration’s efforts have yielded some results across several key areas. In terms of skills development and economic empowerment, approximately 200 women have been trained in financial literacy and entrepreneurship development, providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary to start and manage their own businesses effectively.

A more extensive program empowered 600 vulnerable women and adolescent girls across three Local Government Areas through a 3-day training program. This initiative focused on enhancing participants’ skills in nutrition-sensitive income-generating activities, addressing both economic empowerment and health outcomes simultaneously. Participants also received Income-Generating Activity (IGA) equipment and starter packs, ensuring they had the necessary tools to immediately begin using their newly acquired skills.

In the area of child protection and rights awareness, 1,000 students were sensitised on the Elimination of Violence Against Children (EVAC) and educated about the rights and responsibilities of children as enshrined in the Child Rights Act (CRA). This initiative represents a crucial investment in preventing future violations of children’s rights by building awareness among young people themselves.

The ministry has also mobilised approximately 100 stakeholders, including traditional rulers, to facilitate critical discussions on the persistent issue of child marriage in Nigeria. These discussions aimed to build consensus among influential community leaders, promote policy dialogue, and collaboratively devise sustainable solutions to this harmful practice. The insights and commitments generated from these discussions will inform the development of a new national strategy and costed action plan for ending child marriage in Nigeria by 2030.

Through sensitisation programs on the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act of 2015, thousands of women have been educated about their rights and legal protections. The government has also strengthened support for victims of domestic violence, encouraging whistleblowing, providing counseling, and establishing sanctuary homes. Efforts are underway to review of the Child Rights Act (2003) and National Child Policy: strengthen child protection systems.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim has emphasized collaboration and synergy, holding sessions with Commissioners for Women Affairs across states to foster better policy alignment and implementation. In the critical area of Combating Gender-Based Violence (GBV), the Ministry is expanding social services and creating safe spaces for survivors, advocating for comprehensive data through the resuscitation of a National Electronic Dashboard for GBV Data.

Child Protection remains a high priority, with proactive interventions in cases involving children, advocating for their safety and expedited judicial processes. This includes collaboration with child protection services for psychological counseling and social support. A significant achievement is the ongoing domestication of the Child Rights Act (2003) across all states. Another issue of importance for the current minister is climate action. The Ministry is actively advocating for women empowerment in combating environmental crises and this includes initiatives to engage women in planting economic trees, empowering them in climate-smart agriculture, and supporting female-owned climate-friendly startups.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim commended the increased budget allocation for women’s affairs, the first of such significant increase in 30 years, a move she said is crucial for strengthening policies on women’s inclusion and empowerment.

Challenges

Key among President Tinubu’s promises was his commitment to the 35% affirmative action for women in government positions which would align Nigeria with its own National Gender Policy from 2006. But despite his campaign promise to prominently feature women at all levels of government, Tinubu’s initial cabinet appointments had only 18.75% women representation in the Federal Executive Council.

Agoziem told Daily Sun that while the Ministry of Women Affairs, under both ministers, has been proactive in launching initiatives to help the female gender; women’s inclusion under President Tinubu’s administration still needs improvement. She said: “The 35% affirmative action target for women in government which was one of his promises has not yet been fully realized. His initial cabinet appointments showed 18.75% women in the Federal Executive Council. Though his administration has included women in key presidential aide roles and other public service positions, more needs to be done to meet up with the 35 percent. I learned that the Ministry is also actively advocating for a special bill for women’s Inclusion and they are proposing 182 exclusive legislative seats for women. If that is done, it would be a major achievement.

“The goals of this administration on economic empowerment, the fight against GBV, and the continued advocacy for political inclusion must translate into tangible, transformative outcomes that impact the lives of Nigerian women at all levels of society.”