Hot SourceAs the global community gathers in Beijing, China, Nigeria has reaffirmed its resolve to transform declarations into action and promises into measurable progress for the rights, welfare, and economic empowerment of women.
Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, in her remarks on Monday stated that Nigeria is using the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women to deepen partnerships, scale up women’s empowerment, and accelerate its gender equality goals, .
Speaking at the event themed “One Shared Future: New and Accelerated Process for Women’s All-Round Development”, the Minister — on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — conveyed warm appreciation to China and UN Women for organising the gathering.
Marking 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and other major global milestones, the meeting offers what she described as a “critical opportunity” to move from policy to practice.
Nigeria has long built structures aimed at delivering gender equality and social inclusion.
Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the government has rolled out a number of frameworks including the National Gender Policy (2021-2026), the Women’s Economic Empowerment Policy (2023), the National Policy on Ending Child Marriage, and the Third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2025-2030), all intended to expand opportunity, protect rights, strengthen resilience, and attract investment.
To turn these frameworks into measurable reality, she said, Nigeria is implementing the Renewed Hope Social Impact Interventions (RH-SII-774), a national delivery system operating across all 774 Local Government Areas. Its nine pillars are mutually reinforcing, exerting impact in women-centred development, protection of children, and a family-focused approach.
Significantly, Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim told the meeting that Nigeria is seeking new technical partnerships, learning from China’s successes in lifting women out of poverty, and aiming to ensure that in sectors such as energy transition, creative economies, digital and green economies, Nigerian women are not only beneficiaries but leaders.
She also disclosed a financing gap of about USD 1.2 billion over the next five years to fully bridge systemic barriers that hold back women’s progress.
To address this, Nigeria is mobilising blended finance, strengthening private sector collaboration, and leveraging impact-investment instruments.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim stressed that empowering women is not charity but an investment in productivity, peace, shared prosperity. Nigeria intends to ensure “no woman is unseen, no girl unheard, no child is forgotten, and no family is left behind,” she said.
The delegation include Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, Chair, House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Barr. Sweet Okundaye, Director Legal Services of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Ibrahim, APC Deputy National Woman Leader, Princess Atika Ajanah, from the North Central Development Commission, Moremi Ojodu, SSAP on Community Engagement South West Zone, Modupe Oyekunle of the Mast craft Resource Centre and Princess Jummai Idonije Special Assistant, Technical to the Honourable Minister.
The meeting was attended by Heads of State and Government, Parliament Leaders, Vice Premier-level and Minister level officials and diplomatic envoys from about 100 countries and representatives of international Organizations.
