Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to women’s empowerment and social development.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim highlighted targeted economic interventions and grassroots inclusion as key to strengthening women’s participation in national development.
Speaking as Chief Host at the League of Women Voters of Nigeria (NILOWV) 30th Anniversary All-Women Conference in Abuja, the Minister said “the President’s designation of 2026 as the Year of Families and Social Development placed families at the centre of national policy and social stability.”
She described the declaration as “a landmark validation” of the Nigerian woman’s role as “both the moral compass and the economic anchor of the home.”
Building on the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Sulaiman-Ibrahim outlined the Ministry’s nine-pillar framework, anchored by the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention 774, as a vehicle for delivering empowerment across all 774 local government areas.
The initiative targets 50 million women, children and vulnerable citizens, with plans to economically empower more than 10 million women over five years and expand digital and agricultural inclusion through programmes such as Women Agro-Value Expansion (WAVE) and PowerHer.
The Minister described the policy direction as a transition “from basic survival to sustainable wealth creation, grassroots security, and technological inclusion within their own local communities.”
Linking economic empowerment with political participation, she challenged NILOWV to take civic education beyond conference halls and into communities.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim said: “Do not merely sit at the table and wait for opportunities to reach you.
“Go into the trenches, into every market, every village square, every worship centre, and every polling unit to enlighten, organise, and mobilise Nigerian women to own their political power.”
She also highlighted Nigeria’s preparations to commemorate the 26th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, underscoring women’s contributions to peacebuilding and national security. A national media briefing was scheduled for October 30 to review progress and priorities.
Meanwhile, NILOWV National President, Irene Awunah-Ikyegh has called for passage of the Special Seats Bill for Women and stronger measures to dismantle barriers to women’s political representation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Thirty years of advocacy must translate into stronger institutions, wider political participation, greater representation and lasting democratic reforms,” she said.
Awunah-Ikyegh urged women to engage political parties early, support qualified female candidates and demand measurable commitments on gender-based violence, economic exclusion and equal opportunities.
“Nigerian women are not an afterthought in democracy. We are stakeholders, voters, leaders and citizens whose participation is indispensable,” she said.
The conference highlighted the need to translate policy commitments into measurable economic opportunities, inclusive institutions and greater representation of women in decision-making.
For NILOWV, the 30th anniversary, themed ” Thirty Years Strong: Building Sustainable Women’s Movement for Democratic Development”, marks a renewed call to turn women’s electoral strength into sustained institutional reform and meaningful participation in Nigeria’s democratic future.
