By Salisu Sani-Idris
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to women’s economic inclusion and national development.
Tinubu, represented by the Vice-President Kashim Shettima, gave the assurance during the Presidential inauguratinon of the Nigerian for Women Project Scale-Up (S-U) , held at the State House Conference Hall, Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian for Women Project -SU is headed by Dr Hadiza Maina.
The programme’s pilot phase in six states had already reached over one million beneficiaries, with the scale-up introducing the Happy Woman App Platform, a secure digital interface that connects women to finance, skills, markets, essential services, and government support.
The president, who expanded the programme to reach 25 million beneficiaries nationwide, said that Nigeria cannot achieve sustainable growth without placing women at the centre of national planning.
“A nation that relegates its women is a nation bound for implosion. We have long understood this truth.
” That is why this administration has not only placed women at the forefront of decision-making but has also entrusted them with leadership in causes that redeem our national promise.
” Today stands as proof of that commitment, and I am proud to be part of this journey,” he said.
Tinubu observed that while women were the authors of Nigeria’s development story, they remain essential to family stability, community resilience and national productivity.
“We have set a bold but achievable national ambition: to reach 25 million Nigerian women through this programme,” he stated.
Tinubu called on the World Bank to strengthen its financing, technical support and innovation partnerships for the national scale-up.
” Digital inclusion is no longer optional; it is foundational to effective service delivery and national competitiveness,” he added.
The president designated 2026 as the “Year of Social Development and Families in Nigeria,” directing coordinated action across all levels of government.
The Nigerian leader commended the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development for integrating technology into policy implementation.
Tinubu also applauded the ministry for reorganising social development into a more coherent system since the launch of the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention in Nasarawa State in 2025.
Tinubu, who said that the transformation reflected what purposeful leadership can achieve, praised state Governors and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum for aligning federal vision with state-level execution.
According to him, national transformation succeeds when all levels of government move with shared purpose.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said the event underscored a significant shift under the leadership of President Tinubu.
She said, ” Women are no longer viewed as peripheral beneficiaries of development but as central drivers of Nigeria’s economic growth, social cohesion, and democratic stability.”
The minister described the inauguration of the Nigerian for Women ProjectScale-Up as one of the most far-reaching and ambitious expansions of social and economic empowerment in the nation’s history.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim added the that phase one of the project successfully achieved its objectives of addressing harmful social norms and strengthening women’s socio-economic resilience.
Beyond these achievements, she emphasised that the project delivered compelling evidence of the transformative power of women’s empowerment.
She announced the inauguration of Nigeria’s Third National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security.
This, according to Sulaiman-Ibrahim, will position Nigeria among a select group of countries worldwide to attain this milestone.
The world bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mathew Verghis, said the programme aligned with the overarching objective of the bank new Country Partnership Framework that prioritizes unlocking economic opportunities.
He said, ” This is by building linkages with the private sector and creating more and better jobs.
“Nigerian women remain disproportionately affected by poverty and systematic inequalities.
” While the poverty rate is high for both enders, 64.3 per cent of women in Nigeria live in poverty as measured at the lower-middle-income poverty line of $3.65/day.
” The Scale Up project will expand implementation to 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory reaching five million women and 19.5 million indirect beneficiaries. The project aims to create 4.5 million jobs.” (NAN)