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…Say empowering women is Nigeria’s fastest route to prosperity
From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Nigeria’s drive for economic growth received a major boost on Thursday as top government officials, political leaders and business executives declared that empowering women remains the surest path to national prosperity.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, at the launch of the Business Women of Influence for Renewed Hope Agenda (BWI-RHA) in Abuja, charged women to turn their influence into economic power and become active drivers of the country’s development.
Represented by the Special Assistant to the President on Women Affairs, Amira Abubakar, the minister described women empowerment as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Women’s empowerment is not charity; it is a strategic economic policy,” she declared.
She said government programmes are already reaching women in all 774 local government areas through entrepreneurship support, skills acquisition, financial inclusion and targeted interventions for vulnerable groups.
Throwing its weight behind the initiative, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe said women remain indispensable partners in nation-building and economic transformation.
The APC chairman said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to expand economic opportunities, entrepreneurship and financial inclusion across the country.
“Empowering women is an economic necessity and a strategic investment in national progress,” he stated.
He praised the newly formed group for creating a platform that would deepen mentorship, enterprise development and leadership opportunities for women nationwide.
In her remarks, BWI-RHA Director-General, Ngozi Oyewole, described the organisation as a powerful movement designed to mobilise women for economic growth and national development.
She added that the platform would mentor women entrepreneurs, create business opportunities, promote leadership development, and advocate policies that improve the welfare of women, children, and other vulnerable groups.
“Today, we are launching more than an organisation; we are launching a force for empowerment, enterprise and leadership,” she said.
Also speaking, the group’s Matron and Iyalode of Lagos, Bintu-Fatima Tinubu, urged women to seize the opportunity to build stronger families, businesses and communities.
“When women succeed, families prosper, communities flourish and nations grow,” she said.
