FCT Aligns Devt Agenda With Global Sustainability Goals – Minister

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is aligning its development agenda with global sustainability goals by promoting green enterprises and climate resilience, the minister of State for the FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, has revealed.

At the 2026 Global Africa Women’s Sustainability Conference for Women Entrepreneurs in Abuja yesterday, Mahmoud said the FCT, under Barr. Nyesom Wike’s leadership, is focused on circular economy practices and environmentally responsible production.

“The future we seek, prosperous, equitable, and sustainable, cannot be achieved without the active leadership of women,” Mahmoud declared in her keynote address at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.

The conference, organised by ImpactHER under the theme “Rethink, Reinvent, Regenerate,” was described by the minister as a timely call to action for African women entrepreneurs to challenge outdated models, embrace innovation, and contribute to building resilient economies.

Mahmoud reaffirmed the FCT Administration’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for women entrepreneurs, noting that women across Africa are playing transformative roles in agriculture, renewable energy, fashion, and fintech.

“Many women entrepreneurs continue to face systemic challenges, including limited access to finance, markets, technology, and policy support,” she said.

The minister emphasized the importance of platforms like the conference in providing visibility and shaping policies. She added that the FCT is implementing reforms to improve infrastructure, enhance capacity-building, and simplify business processes to reduce regulatory bottlenecks.

“Women entrepreneurs are not just participants in the economy; they are architects of a new development paradigm,” Mahmoud stated, while commending ImpactHER for its dedication to empowering women across the continent.

Earlier, the founder of ImpactHER, Barrister Efe Ukala, called for urgent global alignment with the realities driven by African women.

“African women are already leading in sustainable enterprise. This gathering represents a bold call to reposition women not as beneficiaries, but as architects of a sustainable global African future,” Ukala said.

She revealed that while the green economy is valued at over $5 trillion globally and growing rapidly, African women remain largely excluded from premium markets.

She identified lack of certifications, regulatory compliance, and access to global standards as critical barriers despite their active role in trade.

The conference, she explained, aims to bridge this gap by equipping women entrepreneurs with tools, networks, and knowledge to access formal markets and scale globally.

Ukala reaffirmed that ImpactHER has so far supported over 250,000 women across Africa and the Caribbean.