Nigeria For Women Programme Set To Scale Nationally, Targeting 4 Million Beneficiaries
By AMINA USMAN ABDULRAHMAN
NIGERIA’S flagship women’s economic empowerment initiative, the Nigeria for Women Programme (NFWP), is preparing for a nationwide rollout aimed at reaching four million women across 32 states, following an impressive pilot-phase performance.
The pilot, implemented between 2019 and 2024 in six states, exceeded expectations: against a target of 300,000 women, the programme empowered more than 450,000 women through Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) — community-based cooperatives that drive savings, lending, skills training, and business growth.
Dr. Hadiza Maina, National Project Coordinator, said the success has encouraged more governors to request inclusion. She emphasised that WAGs form the “nerve centre” of the programme, offering women financial literacy, digital skills, health and nutrition training, reproductive health services, and climate-smart agriculture support.
With the scale-up, the programme aims to establish 170,000 WAGs, up from 22,000 in the pilot phase, and will prioritise inclusivity by actively reaching IDP women, refugees, and women with disabilities.
Describing the programme as a long-term economic model rather than a palliative, Maina highlighted stories of transformation — including women who moved from micro-trade to land ownership through livelihood support. “When you empower a woman, you empower a community,” she said.
Anchored in the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and supported by the World Bank, the NFWP seeks to strengthen women’s contributions to national growth, aligning with Nigeria’s ambitions for a trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
At its core, the initiative underscores a simple truth: empowering women uplifts families, stabilises communities, and propels national development.
