Women Affairs Minister Seeks Policy on Gender Inclusion
Modupe Aderogba, Abuja
THE Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has stressed the urgent need to mainstream gender inclusion into Nigeria’s development agenda.
She was speaking at the Gender and Inclusion Summit on Thursday, in the capital, Abuja.
The summit, hosted ministers, policymakers, private sector leaders, civil society actors, and development partners under the theme: “New Voices and New Approaches for Accelerating an Inclusive Society.”
“Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a $1 trillion economy cannot be achieved if women, who represent over 50% of our population, remain constrained to the margins,” she declared.
“Closing the gender gap in labour force participation could add as much as $229 billion to our GDP by 2030. Empowering women is not just a moral imperative—it is an economic necessity.”
The Minister highlighted key initiatives being championed by her Ministry under the Renewed Hope Agenda, including the Renewed Hope Social Impact Interventions – 774 (RH-SII774) and the Families First Initiative.
These, she explained, are designed to expand women’s participation in agriculture, improve access to clean cooking solutions, strengthen family resilience, and advance the emerging National Care Economy Framework.
She applauded reforms across states such as Adamawa, Niger, and Rivers where women are making significant strides in politics and governance.
She also pointed out that Nigerian women are excelling in sports, business, and finance, noting that women currently lead more than 40% of the country’s commercial banks—a figure above global averages in corporate leadership.
Reiterating the importance of representation, Hajia Imaan reaffirmed her Ministry’s backing for the Special Seats Bill for Women to ensure stronger legislative presence. According to her, women in decision-making roles are more likely to channel resources toward education, health, and social protection.
The Minister further praised the summit for serving as a hub of innovation and knowledge sharing. “What you have built is no longer just a national conversation; it is fast becoming Africa’s foremost marketplace of ideas for inclusion.
“Our task is to ensure the energy and ideas from GS-25 are translated into measurable change across government, private sector, and communities,” she said.
The Policy Innovation Centre of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) convened the Gender and Inclusion Summit 2025 (GS-25), a two-day high-level gathering aimed at accelerating strategies for a more inclusive society.
