The Federal Government has launched the full-scale expansion of the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, targeting over four million women with enhanced financial inclusion, livelihood support, and social protection.
The initiative was unveiled during the inauguration of the Federal Steering Committee for the programme in Abuja, led by Minister of Women Affairs, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
Speaking at the event, Sulaiman-Ibrahim described the NFWP-SU as a transformative milestone in Nigeria’s pursuit of women’s economic empowerment, aligning with the national Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Agenda and the Nigeria Women Economic Empowerment Policy (WEE).
“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,” she said, emphasizing its role in advancing SDG 5 on gender equality and SDG 16 on peace and social cohesion.
The minister noted that, despite an 18-month delay in its launch, the programme is operational in 18 states and has received a “satisfactory” rating from the World Bank.
She highlighted stark gender disparities: 70% of Nigerian women live in extreme poverty, only 10% have access to land ownership, women earn 45–50% less than men in similar roles, and just 34% of women have digital access compared to 88% of men.
“The NFWP-SU will replace fragmented interventions with a systemic model capable of reshaping local economies, reducing household vulnerability, and positioning women as drivers of inclusive growth,” Sulaiman-Ibrahim said.
The programme supports the World Bank’s Global Crisis Response Framework, promoting agricultural productivity and climate-resilient livelihoods to address food insecurity.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim stressed the need for collaboration with ministries such as Agriculture, Health, Water Resources, Finance, Environment, Communications, and Digital Economy.
“When we empower a woman, we empower a household; and when we empower millions of women, we recalibrate an entire economy,” she said, calling for unified efforts among stakeholders.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, described the inauguration as a step toward institutionalizing women’s empowerment, noting that the committee’s Terms of Reference and Work Plan would ensure transparency and impact.
World Bank representative Michael Ilesanmi called the NFWP Africa’s largest women’s economic empowerment programme, influencing similar initiatives in Liberia, Uganda, South Sudan, and Afghanistan.
“The world is looking up to Nigeria on how to do women’s economic empowerment right,” he said, projecting access to finance and markets for about five million women and their households.
Representatives from the Ministries of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Industry, Trade and Investment, and Communications and Digital Economy pledged support for effective implementation.
Dr. Maryam Adebola, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, thanked the World Bank and partners, reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to “building a framework that lifts women, families, and communities toward national prosperity.”
With women contributing 70–80% of Nigeria’s agricultural labor yet facing barriers to land ownership and financial services, the NFWP-SU is seen as a pivotal move to bridge gender inequality and foster inclusive growth under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
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