In a move to advance gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, Vice President Kashim Shettima has declared that women will be at the forefront of Africa’s projected $29 trillion economic transformation.
He expressed strong conviction that gender inclusion is not merely a rhetorical commitment but a cornerstone of Nigeria’s national development agenda saying all citizens have equal opportunities to contribute to national development.
The Vice President stated this on Thursday in Abuja when he declared open the 2025 Gender Inclusion Conference and launched Project #SheIsIncluded to bridge gender gaps in finance and the broader economy.
The conference with the theme, “Breaking Barriers, Building Resilience for Sustainable Women’s Economic and Financial Inclusion,” builds on the 2024 Aso Accord for Economic and Financial Inclusion and underscores Nigeria’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5: gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
Breaking Barriers, Building Resilience: #ShesIncluded Conference Set to Transform Women’s Economic Inclusion
The Office of the Vice President is set to host the Gender Inclusion Conference, themed “Breaking Barriers, Building Resilience for Sustainable Women’s Economic and… pic.twitter.com/R2jWOQWny2
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“We cannot build the Nigeria or Africa we envision without fully integrating women into our economic systems. Women are not just participants in our economy; they are leaders, innovators, and the bedrock of sustainable development,” the Vice President stated.
According to VP Shettima, Project #SheIsIncluded is built on four key pillars of education and financial literacy, maternal healthcare, gender-sensitive policies and programmes, and expanded economic opportunities for women.
He also announced that the initiative will reach all 774 local government areas across Nigeria to ensure that no woman is left behind.
“Our commitment to gender inclusion is not a cosmetic performance to placate the sensibilities of progressives; it is a fundamental pillar of our national development agenda. We are not just assuring the women of Nigeria of their place in our collective journey—we are creating the pathways for them to lead the charge,”VP Shettima said.
He explained that the project “is not just about meeting quotas—it is about unlocking the full potential of our people to drive the broader economic goals of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.”
The Vice President noted that the initiative will be spearheaded by the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion in partnership with the Ministry of Women Affairs.
“To build an inclusive economic ecosystem where all Nigerians, regardless of gender, can contribute and benefit, we must redouble our efforts and align with global best practices. We must be relentless in our pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal 5—achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls,” he affirmed.
VP Shettima emphasized that the two-day conference is more than just a forum for discussion as it is an avenue for serious reflection and practical strategizing on how to build an inclusive nation. He urged both public and private sector stakeholders to take the opportunity to outline actionable steps towards active participation in the gender inclusion agenda.
“I look forward to the recommendations that will emerge from this conference, knowing that they will shape the future of gender inclusion in Nigeria,” he added.
Breaking Barriers
In her remarks, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere- Ekun, said the conference was an important milestone in the collective effort to outline ways of breaking barriers to empowering women and promoting inclusion.
She said gender inclusion was a key enabler of sustainable development and central to addressing poverty and fostering economic growth, noting that it should translate into financial independence, wealth creation, and leadership development for women across different sectors.
Justice Kekere-Ekun assured that the judiciary will work in partnership with stakeholders to ensure that the rights of women to access economic resources and ownership of property, among others, are protected and not subjected to the dictates of individuals or obsolete cultural practices and stereotypes.
Solid Foundation
In a recorded message to the occasion, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Dr Amina Mohammed, said the conference marked a critical step towards Nigeria’s journey to gender inclusion, women empowerment, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She said gender equality and inclusion is not just an aspiration but a foundation for sustainable development, peace, and development across the world and urged all to invest in women’s empowerment, noting that when women are empowered, communities prosper, economies grow, and societies advance.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, said the conference offers a unique opportunity to strengthen strategic frameworks for dismantling all barriers towards the actualization of all women empowerment programmes and initiatives.
In the same vein, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State said the goals of the conference aligned with the agenda of the State Government on gender and economic inclusion, targeting women and vulnerable groups through the Kaduna State policy on women empowerment.
He highlighted programmes by the state government that have impacted women across agriculture, commerce, and different areas of the MSMEs, noting that the time to remove all impediments to women’s empowerment and inclusion was now and must be supported by all stakeholders.
Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, said that given the position of women in the society, empowering them is an imperative and a step in the right direction that must be sustained, declaring that Jigawa in realisation of this great potential has placed itself as a champion and model for women empowerment in Nigeria.
He said that girl child education in the state is free at all levels and is tracked across the state, noting that it is a deliberate policy of the State Government to stimulate and improve rural economy.
In the same vein, Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, commended the conveners for the initiative, noting that it is a call to action, noting that his administration is deliberate about pursuing policies on inclusion and uplifting of women with the aim of harnessing their productive potentials.
Giving an overview of the conference, the Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, Nurudeen Zauro, said the conference presents a formidable platform for transformation, alignment of goals, sharing of insights, and designing of actionable plans that will break barriers and build resilience that will lead to financial inclusion across the country.
PIAK
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