President Bola Tinubu has approved the nationwide expansion of the Nigeria for Women Programme, setting an ambitious target of reaching 25 million beneficiaries and reinforcing his administration’s commitment to women’s economic inclusion and national development.
The programme, which began as a pilot in six states and reached over one million women, is now being scaled up with the introduction of the Happy Woman App Platform — a secure digital interface designed to connect women to finance, skills, markets, essential services, and government support.
Speaking at the Presidential Launch of the Programme Scale-Up at the State House in Abuja on Thursday, Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said Nigeria’s future depended on placing women at the centre of national planning.
“A nation that relegates its women is a nation bound for implosion,” the president said. “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.”
Tinubu described women as the authors of Nigeria’s development story, stressing their critical role in 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 said, calling 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.”
The president also designated 2026 as the “Year of Social Development and Families in Nigeria,” directing coordinated action across all levels of government. The declaration follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed during his January official visit to Turkey aimed at strengthening family cohesion and social welfare systems.
He commended the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development for integrating technology into policy implementation and reorganising social development into a more coherent system since the launch of the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention in Lafia last year.
“This transformation reflects what purposeful leadership can achieve,” Tinubu said.
He further praised state governors and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum for aligning federal vision with state-level execution, noting that “national transformation succeeds when all levels of government move with shared purpose.”
Earlier, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, said the launch marked a major shift under Tinubu’s leadership, with women no longer treated as peripheral beneficiaries but as central drivers of economic growth, social cohesion, and democratic stability.
“The Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up is one of the most far-reaching and ambitious expansions of social and economic empowerment in our history,” she said.
Ibrahim noted that Phase One of the project successfully tackled harmful social norms and strengthened women’s socio-economic resilience.
“Beyond the achievements, the project has delivered compelling evidence of the transformative power of women’s empowerment,” she added.
She also announced the launch of Nigeria’s Third National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, placing Nigeria among a select group of countries worldwide to attain the milestone.
World Bank Regional Representative for Africa, Robert Chase, said the project was designed by the bank’s Social Policy Department to put women at the centre of development.
“Investing in women remains the most impactful investment any nation can make,” Chase said.
Similarly, the Director of the Nigeria Country Office of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Uche Amaonwu, said empowering women directly translates into healthier families and safer communities.
“When you empower women, you significantly reduce disease and insecurity at the household level,” Amaonwu said.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, pledged his ministry’s readiness to collaborate on initiatives to empower women nationwide.
Representing the Senate President, Senator Ireti Kingibe said the scale-up reflected the federal government’s resolve to address women’s needs.
“The National Assembly will continue to enact legislation to expand women’s access to governance and economic resources,” she said.
Delivering the goodwill message of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Katsina State Deputy Governor, Malam Faruk Jobe, reaffirmed state governments’ commitment to providing counterpart funding for women-focused projects.
Jobe disclosed that Katsina State, one of the participating states, had earmarked N4 billion in its current budget to support the initiative.
