The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to accelerating the implementation of the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) Project through enhanced technical assistance and institutional support.
The minister made the pledge during a visit to the Community Operations Manual Women Affinity Group (WAG) Formation and Strengthening Training for Technical Experts in Abuja.
Addressing participants, Sulaiman-Ibrahim congratulated the six pilot states—Adamawa, Ekiti, Katsina, Jigawa, Kogi and Yobe—for engaging technical experts and assistants to support the implementation of the project.
She noted that the technical assistance being provided in collaboration with the World Bank aligns with the programme’s financing framework and described the pilot states as the first beneficiaries of the initiative.
The minister urged the participating states to make effective use of the support, stressing that their performance would influence future interventions under the programme.
According to her, the outcomes recorded by the pilot states would determine the level of support extended to additional states in subsequent phases.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim described the Nigeria for Women Programme as one of the most significant government investments aimed at improving the welfare and economic prospects of women across the country.
She emphasised the need to accelerate implementation, noting that the programme had experienced several unforeseen delays.
“It is important that we accelerate implementation so that we can expand the programme and reach more women,” she said.
The minister disclosed that the Federal Government intends to broaden the project’s reach to benefit an additional 15 million women nationwide.
She added that beyond supporting women at the grassroots, the initiative seeks to nurture a new generation of female leaders capable of driving development within their communities.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim also encouraged innovation during project implementation and urged participants to engage technical support teams, the World Bank and the Federal Project Coordination Unit whenever necessary.
She further cautioned against misconduct and the misuse of project resources, stressing the importance of transparency and accountability in achieving the programme’s objectives.
The minister called on State Coordinators to extend the same level of engagement accorded to Women Affinity Groups to stakeholders at the local government level to ensure broader participation and inclusiveness.
Earlier, the World Bank’s Senior Social Development Specialist and Task Team Leader, Michael Ilesanmi, urged participating states to demonstrate stronger commitment to ensure the success of the initiative.
The visit featured interactive sessions involving representatives of the State Project Coordination Units (SPCUs) and the Federal Project Coordination Unit (FPCU).
The engagement highlights the Federal Government’s determination to strengthen implementation of the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up Project through improved technical capacity, accountability and inclusive leadership, while positioning participating states to accelerate the delivery of interventions that expand opportunities for women and communities across Nigeria.
