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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, has lauded the resilience of Nigerian women, while the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has unveiled a strategic roadmap to transition from celebration to concrete economic action.
Represented by Fatima Abbas, wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, at the “Give to Gain” Summit—the grand finale of Nigeria’s 2026 International Women’s Day commemoration—the First Lady underscored the importance of nurturing women’s efforts into enduring growth. Echoing the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the First Lady noted that 2026, declared the “Year of Families and Social Development”, recognises women as the architects of stable, thriving households.
The administration, she noted, is expanding opportunities in enterprise, agriculture, social protection, and innovation for long-term inclusion and prosperity.
Mrs Tinubu applauded the minister and her team for their commitment to the agenda, specifically highlighting the “Renewed Social Impact Intervention 774”, which is advancing a coordinated approach to expanding opportunities for women and families across the country.
“The conversations here must lead to action, to partnership, to investment, and programmes that make a measurable difference,” she continued, urging women to recognise the government’s acknowledgement of their role in national growth.
Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim, in her keynote address, defined the “Give to Gain” theme as a shift from rhetoric to a “mandate of renewed prosperity”. She highlighted the economic imperative of empowering women, noting that while they constitute over 50% of the population and 40% of the agricultural labour force, they remain disproportionately excluded from formal finance.
“Closing this gap is not charity; it is strategy,” the minister stated. “When we give women access, tools, and trust, we unlock exponential returns for families and the economy.”
To drive this transformation, the minister highlighted the Renewed Hope Social Impact Interventions (RH-SII 774), a nine-pillar framework designed to provide direct economic empowerment, microcredit, and agricultural support across all local government areas. Central to this is the newly approved Affirmative Procurement Policy, which grants women-owned enterprises equitable access to government contracts, effectively turning public procurement into a tool for inclusive growth.
The minister also addressed the global care economy, noting that policy must now “carry” the weight historically borne by women. “This is ‘woman o’clock’—a year where her labour is valued, her role is dignified, and her contributions are institutionalised,” she declared.
She extended a formal invitation to the 10 Million Women Mega Empowerment and Rally, themed “One Voice, One Movement, One Choice”, scheduled for 5th May at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja. The event, attended by stakeholders from the National Council of Women Societies, the UN Human Rights Commission, and anti-trafficking groups, concluded with the flag-off of the “Keep to Gain Empowerment Programme”.
In a final call to action, Sulaiman-Ibrahim urged women to foster sisterhood: “When you gain a seat at the table, create room for many more. Do not throw away the ladder.”
In his remarks, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, identified energy access as a critical tool for unlocking the economic potential of Nigerian women, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
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Representing the agency at the “Give to Gain” International Women’s Day Summit, Dr Aliyu highlighted that reliable electricity allows women to scale businesses, improve healthcare access, and enhance educational outcomes, noting that the agency’s projects—such as the solar mini-grid in Namu, Plateau State—have already significantly boosted the productivity of female entrepreneurs.
Reaffirming the REA’s commitment to the “Give to Gain” philosophy, Aliyu stressed that the agency is institutionalising gender inclusion through initiatives like the STEM internship programme, which has trained over 300 young women in technical skills, and the Gender, Environment, Social Inclusion and Counselling (GESIC) Unit.
“Progress for women is progress for all of us,” he stated. “When we invest in women—through energy access, skills development, and inclusive opportunities—the returns are far-reaching, benefiting families, communities, and the nation as a whole.”
United Nations Women (UN Women) has emphasised that increasing women’s political representation is a democratic necessity rather than an act of charity, urging Nigeria to dismantle systemic barriers to achieve true national development.
Country Representative Beatrice Eyong, represented by the Acting Deputy Representative of UN Women Nigeria, Patience Ekeoba, noted that while Nigerian women excel across all sectors, they remain severely under-represented in public decision-making.
She pointed to the success of regional peers like Rwanda and Senegal, which have leveraged deliberate measures to create more inclusive governance. She called for the implementation of reserved seats, campaign finance reforms, and initiatives to mitigate violence against women in politics to ensure a more representative future.
“When we speak of women, power and leadership, we are speaking about justice, representation and the future of nations,” Ekeoba stated. “Leadership is strongest when it reflects the people it serves. No country can unlock its full potential when half of its population remains under-represented in decision-making spaces.”
Highlighting the need to move beyond rhetoric, Ekeoba urged political parties and stakeholders to invest in mentorship pipelines and strengthen legal reforms ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle.
She concluded by stressing that inclusivity is a national imperative, adding, “When women lead, communities prosper, institutions gain trust, peace is strengthened, and democracy grows stronger.”
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Esuabana Asanye, opened the “Give to Gain” Summit by calling for a shift from symbolic rhetoric to deliberate, actionable investment in women’s education, resources, and economic opportunities.
Welcoming policymakers, development partners, and stakeholders to the grand finale of the 2026 International Women’s Month, she stressed that while institutional support and policy reform are vital, true progress must also be driven by individual agency and identity.
Highlighting the ministry’s ongoing commitment to economic and social empowerment, Asanye urged participants to develop innovative strategies that can be effectively cascaded to sub-national levels, noting that “when women thrive, societies flourish”.
