Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, says strong alliances remain essential for inclusive and sustainable development.
Speaking at a side event co-hosted by Nigeria on “The Vital Role of Women Building Alliances for Empowerment” during the Commission on the Status of Women 70th Session at the United Nations Headquarters, the Minister highlighted collaboration among nations as a key driver of progress for women and communities.
She Emphasised the importance of international partnerships in advancing women’s empowerment.
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“Serbia, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Slovakia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates — across continents and cultures, our nations are united by a simple truth. When women rise, communities prosper, and when alliances are forged, possibilities expand,” she stated.
The Minister noted that conversations on the vital role of women and the importance of alliances are both timely and necessary, particularly in Africa.
“Across the world, and particularly in Africa, meaningful progress can only be achieved through strong collaborations amongst government, institutions, civil societies, and communities,” she said.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim said Nigeria’s efforts are guided by the vision of President Bola Tinubu under the Renewed Hope agenda.
“In Nigeria, this commitment is reflected in the vision of our president, his excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose Renewed Hope agenda places women, our families, children, and social development at the heart of national transformation. In this regard, 2026 has been declared Nigeria’s Year of Families and Social Development, reaffirming that strong families are the foundation for empowering men and resilient societies,” she said.
The Women Affairs Minister also highlighted the government’s flagship initiative, the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention 774 programme.
According to her, “We are now accelerating the delivery of our flagship programme, the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention 774, which we call the RHII 774.”
She described the initiative as a wide-ranging set of programmes suppogrting women through livelihood opportunities, digital inclusion, finance, clean energy and social protection.
Digital Platform
Sulaiman-Ibrahim also announced a digital platform aimed at expanding access to economic opportunities for women.
“Through our Women’s Digital Harmony initiative, we are leveraging technology innovations with one of the components being the Happy Romance app, a mobile platform that serves as a one-stop shop that aggregates interventions and supports our women.
“This initiative will enable access that connects over 20 million women to information, to mentorship and economic opportunities, while strengthening networks of support and inclusion.” the Minister explained.
She pledged Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening partnerships globally to advance opportunities for women and girls.
“I look forward to partnering with each and every one of you as we position women as a global economic power,” the Minister said.
The convergence cohosted with Serbia, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates reinforced the importance of collaboration, while also x-raying the persistent challenge of unequal access to finance for women-owned businesses.
It noted that even though women own about 40 percent of micro-businesses, they receive only about 20 percent of available capital, despite their strong presence in entrepreneurship.
The nations observed that alliances are already emerging through partnerships such as a memorandum of understanding signed between Nigeria and Turkey, underscoring the importance of sustained collaboration among countries while addressing the significant funding gaps that remain for women-led enterprises.