REPORT: WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT POLICY MID-POINT REVIEW CONVENING AT TRANSCORP HILTON

The National Council for Women’s Society (NCWS-Nigeria) was present at the Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy Convening and Mid-Point Review, a landmark program organized by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. The event took place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on April 23rd, 2026, and was attended by the National President of NCWS-Nigeria, Princess Edna DD Azura, alongside a distinguished assembly of government officials Hon. Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, development partners like the Gates Foundation, and civil society Organizations.

The convening, which brought together key stakeholders to assess progress on Nigeria’s first-ever National Women’s Economic Empowerment Policy (launched in May 2023), featured a strong representation from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development led by the Honourable Minister, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, fsi. The Minister delivered a comprehensive keynote address outlining significant milestones achieved since the policy’s inception, including the successful domestication of the WEE policy in four states Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, and Kwara with over two-thirds of Nigerian states expressing formal commitment to the process. Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim emphasized that this mid-point review was “not a reflection exercise but a call to accelerate action,” highlighting the government’s determination to move beyond policy formulation to tangible implementation.

The program featured goodwill messages from several key development partners, including the Gates Foundation represented by Mr. Jonathan, who noted that despite half the policy implementation period having elapsed, notable progress has been achieved, including the surpassing of targets around women’s dealership on loans and the implementation of gender-responsive budgeting frameworks. The United Nations Women, represented by its Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, delivered a comprehensive assessment of the policy’s impact, disclosing that UN Women has facilitated the creation of over 27,000 beneficiaries across various cooperative initiatives in states including Enugu, Manchester, FCT, Kwara, and Sokoto. These initiatives span clean energy, agricultural cooperatives, and women in food processing and fashion enterprises.

A significant highlight of the convening was the address from the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, who represented the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu. She announced that the Federal Government has adopted outcome-driven budgeting to track gender impact, requiring all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to demonstrate how budget allocations directly impact women. Furthermore, she revealed that an Affirmative Procurement Policy has been approved by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, mandating that a minimum percentage of government procurement contracts be reserved for women-owned businesses.

The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, in her comprehensive remarks, unveiled several flagship initiatives that are driving the WEE policy’s implementation, including EmpowerHer, WAVE 774, and DigitalHer programs. She disclosed that the Nigerian for Women Program, supported by the World Bank, aims to reach a minimum of 4.5 million women across the country through community-based savings and skills development groups, with plans to scale up to 20 million women with additional funding. The Minister also announced the availability of the “Happy Women App” on the Google Play Store, a digital platform providing women with real-time access to information, opportunities, support services, and employment listings.

The declaration of 2026 as the “Year of Families and Social Development” by President Tinubu’s administration was identified as a strategic framework that recognizes the inseparable link between women’s economic empowerment and family strengthening. The Minister noted that this declaration positions Nigeria as a leader in Africa in recognizing that economic policies must be complemented by social development frameworks, including support for the care economy, psychosocial support systems, and protection mechanisms for vulnerable women and children. The WEE Costed Framework, a strategic implementation tool outlining resource requirements and accountability mechanisms, was also launched during the convening to guide resource mobilization efforts.

Distinguished participants at the high-level convening included representatives from the Albright Stonebridge Group, which collaborated with the Ministry to organize the event, development partners from the UN system, state commissioners for women affairs, private sector leaders, civil society organizations, and members of the press. Princess Edna DD Azura, National President of NCWS-Nigeria, participated actively in the deliberations, lending the voice of Nigeria’s largest women’s umbrella body to the discourse on closing gender gaps in access to finance, land, productive resources, technology, and digital inclusion challenges that continue to constrain women’s full economic participation despite the policy’s progress.

In her closing remarks, Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim charged all stakeholders to move beyond dialogue to disciplined execution, stating that the success of the WEE policy would be measured not by the strength of its design but by tangible improvements in women’s income, economic security, decision-making power, and leadership. She announced that the mid-point review would inform the approach to the 2027 budget cycle, ensuring that women’s economic empowerment remains central to Nigeria’s inclusive growth strategy. The program concluded with a commitment to continued collaboration across federal and sub-national levels, with Princess Edna DD Azura reaffirming NCWS-Nigeria’s dedication to supporting the policy’s full implementation across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Princess Edna D. D. Azura (Kwatam Mutaku),
National President,
National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Nigeria.