By Sharon Akuboh, ABUJA —
Nigeria’s drive for economic growth received a major boost on Thursday as top government officials, political leaders, and business executives declared that empowering women remains the surest path to national prosperity.
The declaration was made at the launch of the Business Women of Influence for Renewed Hope Agenda (BWI-RHA) in Abuja, where stakeholders underscored the critical role of women in driving economic development, entrepreneurship, and national transformation.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, charged women to transform their influence into economic power and become active drivers of the country’s development.
Represented by the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (MBNCWD), Dr. Joan Jummai Idonije, the minister described women empowerment as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Women’s empowerment is not charity; it is a strategic economic policy,” she declared.
According to her, government programmes are already impacting women across all 774 local government areas through entrepreneurship support, skills acquisition initiatives, financial inclusion programmes, and targeted interventions for vulnerable groups.
She noted that investing in women remains one of the most effective ways to stimulate economic growth, reduce poverty, and strengthen communities nationwide.
Throwing its weight behind the initiative, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, said women remain indispensable partners in nation-building and economic transformation.
He stated that the initiative aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to expand economic opportunities, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion across the country.
“Empowering women is an economic necessity and a strategic investment in national progress,” he said.
Goshwe commended the newly formed group for creating a platform that would deepen mentorship, enterprise development, and leadership opportunities for women nationwide.
In her remarks, the Director-General of BWI-RHA, Ngozi Oyewole, described the organisation as a powerful movement designed to mobilise women for economic growth and national development.
She explained that the platform would focus on mentoring women entrepreneurs, creating business opportunities, promoting leadership development, and advocating policies that improve the welfare of women, children, and other vulnerable groups.
“Today, we are launching more than an organisation; we are launching a force for empowerment, enterprise and leadership,” she said.
Also speaking, the group’s Matron and Iyalode of Lagos, Bintu-Fatima Tinubu, urged women to seize the opportunity provided by the initiative to build stronger families, businesses, and communities.
“When women succeed, families prosper, communities flourish and nations grow,” she said.
The launch attracted government officials, business leaders, women entrepreneurs, and development advocates, all united in their call for greater investment in women’s economic participation as a catalyst for sustainable national development.