Tinubu Expands Women’s Economic Programme to 25m Beneficiaries Nationwide

• Rolls out digital platform connecting women to finance, markets, skills

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has expanded the Nigeria for Women Programme to reach 25 million beneficiaries nationwide, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to women’s economic inclusion and national development.

The programme’s pilot phase in six states had already reached over one million beneficiaries, with the scale-up introducing Happy Woman App Platform, a secure digital interface that connects women to finance, skills, markets, essential services, and government support.

Speaking on Thursday at the Presidential Launch of the Programme Scale-Up at State House, Abuja, Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, stated that Nigeria could not achieve sustainable growth without placing women at the centre of national planning.

According to him, “A nation that relegates its women is a nation bound for implosion. We have long understood this truth. That is why this administration has not only placed women at the forefront of decision-making but has also entrusted them with leadership in causes that redeem our national promise.

“Today stands as proof of that commitment, and I am proud to be part of this journey.”

Tinubu observed that while women were the authors of Nigeria’s development story, they remained essential to family stability, community resilience, and national productivity.

He stated, “We have set a bold but achievable national ambition: to reach 25 million Nigerian women through this programme,” he stated, calling on the World Bank to strengthen its financing, technical support and innovation partnerships for the national scale-up.

“Digital inclusion is no longer optional; it is foundational to effective service delivery and national competitiveness.”

The president designated 2026 as the “Year of Social Development and Families in Nigeria,” directing coordinated action across all levels of government.

The declaration followed a Memorandum of Understanding signed during his January official visit to Turkey, aimed at strengthening family cohesion and social welfare systems.

Tinubu commended the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development for integrating technology into policy implementation and reorganising social development into a more coherent system since the launch of the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention in Lafia last year.

He said the transformation reflected what purposeful leadership could achieve.

The president also praised state governors and Nigeria Governors’ Forum for aligning federal vision with state-level execution, stating that “national transformation succeeds when all levels of government move with shared purpose”.

Earlier, in her welcome address, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, said the launch underscored a significant shift under the leadership of Tinubu, where women were no longer viewed as peripheral beneficiaries of development but central drivers of Nigeria’s economic growth, social cohesion, and democratic stability.

She described the launch of the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) Scale-Up as one of the most far-reaching and ambitious expansions of social and economic empowerment in the country’s history.

The minister stated that phase one of the project successfully achieved its objectives of addressing harmful social norms and strengthening women’s socio-economic resilience.

Beyond the achievements, Ibrahim emphasised that the project delivered compelling evidence of the transformative power of women’s empowerment.

She announced the launch of Nigeria’s Third National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, positioning Nigeria among a select group of countries worldwide to attain the milestone.

World Bank Regional Representative for Africa, Mr. Robert Chase, explained that the project was designed by the bank’s Social Policy Department to place women at the centre of development, emphasising that investing in women remains the most impactful investment any nation can make.

Director of the Nigeria Country Office of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Uche Amaonwu, said empowering women directly translated to healthier families and safer communities.

Amaonwu stated that women’s empowerment significantly reduced disease and insecurity at the household level.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, expressed his ministry’s readiness to collaborate on initiatives aimed at empowering women across the country.

The representative of Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Senator Ireti Kingibe, stated that the scale-up of the Nigerian for Women Project reflected the federal government’s commitment to addressing the needs of women.

Kingibe added that the National Assembly would continue to enact legislation to expand women’s access to governance and economic resources.

Delivering the goodwill message of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Deputy Governor of Katsina State, Malam Faruk Jobe, reaffirmed the commitment of state governments to providing counterpart funding for the successful implementation of women-focused projects.

Jobe disclosed that Katsina State, a participating state in the project, had earmarked N4 billion in its current budget to support the initiative.