The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has partnered with Tikera Africa to drive economic empowerment for Nigerian women through the “Inspiring Woman-Led Artisanship Initiative.”
Speaking at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, described the partnership as a bold step towards institutionalising dignity in skilled work, preserving heritage crafts, and unlocking new markets for women across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The initiative aims to empower women artisans with tools, funding, and technology; creating opportunities to showcase their craft locally and globally; building networks that open markets; and shaping policies that protect their rights and expand access to finance.
She emphasised that the initiative builds on the successes of Nigeria for Women Project and the Women Agro Value Expansion (WAVE) programme, which have connected millions of women to value chains, export markets, and professional certifications.
The Minister said that with tools such as the “Happy Woman App“, women can access skills training, mentorship, funding, and market opportunities from their mobile devices.
“This is not just the beginning of a conversation but the advancement of a revolution.Your creativity is currency, your skill is power, and your potential is limitless. The time is here. The moment is ours. Let us rise together and make this the century of the African woman,” the Minister declared.
Spotlighting “Women O’clock” in Nigeria’s artisanal diversity, from leather crafts in Kano to adire fashion in the South West, shea butter processing in the North Central, solar food drying in the North East, cassava processing in the South East, and aquaculture in the South South; she urged government, private sector, and development partners to invest in women “not as a charity but as a smart economic strategy.”
Artisanal heritage
Tikera Africa’s team, led by Bayo Omoboriowo, said their mission to preserve Nigeria’s artisanal heritage while transforming women’s lives strongly aligns with the Ministry’s vision.
The organisation pledged to provide women artisans with tools, funding, and technology; create opportunities to showcase their crafts locally and globally; build market-opening networks; and influence policies that protect women’s rights and expand access to finance.
The unveiling of the ” inspiring Women-Led Artisanship Initiative” is a landmark moment for women’s economic empowerment and cultural preservation, weaving the Future of Nigerian women stitching cultural heritage into National Development.
The partnership will also to scale women’s artisanal work from local production to global markets, ensuring they remain both custodians of Nigeria’s cultural heritage and architects of their own economic future through sustained livelihood activities.
Lateefah Ibrahim