The Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, says Africa’s sustainable development is strongly driven by women who are blending cultural heritage with modern innovation to transform key sectors on the continent.
Speaking on Day Two of the Africa Women Conference (AWC), Professor Sulaiman delivered a keynote paper titled “Legacy Meets Innovation: Women Forging New Pathways for Africa’s Sustainable Development.”
He said; “African women have long been custodians of culture, social cohesion and economic resilience…Their roles remain central to ongoing development efforts across the region.”
Professor Sulaiman said the 21st-century landscape requires a balance between traditional knowledge and emerging technologies.
He stressed that “Africa’s future depends not only on technology or policy but on the empowerment and ingenuity of its women.”
The NILDS Director-General stated that women are leading transformative change in agriculture, governance, entrepreneurship, education and climate action by merging indigenous knowledge with modern tools.
According to him, this synthesis demonstrates that “Africa’s path to sustainability is not a rejection of tradition but its modernisation through female-led ingenuity.”
Highlighting progress in agriculture, he observed that women farmers across the continent now combine “indigenous drought-resistant crops with mobile advisory services” to enhance productivity, while in governance, traditional female leadership structures such as Queen Mothers and market leaders are being reinterpreted to strengthen participation in public decision-making.
Professor Sulaiman emphasised that women in technology, digital entrepreneurship and climate action are redefining development models, pointing to initiatives where women “integrate solar technologies with traditional water-harvesting systems” and apply indigenous environmental ethics to modern sustainability strategies.
However, he warned that structural inequalities continue to limit women’s full participation.
Inadequate policy
Professor Sulaiman highlighted persistent barriers such as gender discrimination, limited access to credit, underrepresentation in STEM fields, and weak policy frameworks, noting that these challenges “undermine women’s ability to participate fully in innovation ecosystems.”
He called for stronger gender-responsive policies, increased investment in STEM education, wider access to finance and digital tools, and protection of indigenous knowledge systems.
Professor Sulaiman warned that Africa risks underutilising half of its human capital if gender disparities remain unaddressed.
He posited that African women remain at the forefront of reshaping the continent’s development landscape and their resilience and creativity demonstrate that sustainable development “is about harmonising the wisdom of the past with the possibilities of the future.”
The NILDS DG also presented copies of the book: “Women Representation in Governance in Nigeria, Issues, Challenges and way Forward,” authored by him to the AWC as resources for women capacity building resources.
Lateefah Ibrahim