BudgIT Report: C’ River Sets Pace in Women’s Economic Empowerment Nationwide

Cross River State has emerged as a national pacesetter in advancing women’s economic empowerment, as the latest state of Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Report by civic-tech organisation, BudgIT, places the state among Nigeria’s top-performing sub-national governments in gender-responsive economic development.

Presenting the report on Monday, December 22, 2025, BudgIT’s Senior Gender Analyst, Damilola Onemano, explained that the assessment evaluated how Nigeria’s 36 states are enabling women to thrive across five critical pillars—agriculture, entrepreneurship, labour markets, emerging industries, and education and skills acquisition.

According to her, “Cross River State distinguished itself through strong, measurable outcomes in sectors that are critical to women’s long-term economic inclusion.”

From an agricultural standpoint, Cross River recorded the highest score nationwide—3.5 out of 4 points — earning a green rating and underscoring the state’s leadership in integrating women into agricultural production and land access.

“Cross River’s performance in agriculture reflects deliberate policy choices that prioritise women within the agricultural value chain,” Onemano noted.

The report further highlighted the state’s strong showing in women’s land ownership, with rates exceeding 10 per cent but below 15 per cent—an impressive feat in a national context where women’s access to land remains significantly constrained. BudgIT described this outcome as “a meaningful step towards economic security and productivity for women, particularly in rural communities”.

In the emerging industries pillar—covering ICT, the green economy, creative industries and digital entrepreneurship — Cross River stood out as one of only three states, alongside Lagos and Kaduna, to achieve a green score.

“These states are laying the groundwork for women to participate in future-facing industries that will drive economic growth,” the report stated, noting that no state attained the aspirational blue score in this category.

Cross River also featured prominently in fiscal support for women, ranking among only four states nationwide, alongside Lagos, Gombe and Ebonyi, with specific budgetary allocations for women’s access to STEM education or training.

Additionally, the state was listed among a small group of states with dedicated budget lines for women in creative arts, entertainment and culture, reflecting forward-looking investment priorities.

While Lagos State emerged as the overall best performer with a total score of 19 out of 24 points, BudgIT emphasised that Cross River’s leadership in agriculture and emerging industries positions it as “a model for inclusive and sustainable economic growth at the sub-national level”.

Nationally, the report observed that women’s participation in emerging industries remains the weakest-performing pillar, with most states clustered in the red and yellow zones.

Against this backdrop, BudgIT noted that: “Cross River’s green rating signals what is achievable when gender inclusion is embedded in economic planning and budgeting.”

The traditional labour market pillar recorded the strongest national performance overall, while women’s political representation in state legislatures continues to lag across most states.

Nevertheless, BudgIT stressed that: “Economic empowerment outcomes, such as those recorded by Cross River State, are critical foundations for broader gender equality.”

In its concluding remarks, BudgIT acknowledged that although a majority of states now have interventions supporting women entrepreneurs, the reach of national programmes—particularly the CBN Entrepreneurship Development Programme—remains limited.

“Bridging the gap between policy intent and real-world impact remains a pressing challenge,” the organisation said.

For Cross River State, the findings of the BudgIT report serve as both affirmation and impetus, reinforcing its status as a national leader in women’s economic empowerment and offering a compelling blueprint for other states seeking inclusive, gender-responsive growth.