Minister, APC Chairman, Others Push For Improved Women’s Empowerment

By JAMES KWEN, Abuja

Top government officials, political leaders, and business executives have declared that empowering women remains the surest path to national prosperity.

They spoke at the unveiling of the Business Women of Influence for the Renewed Hope Agenda (BWI-RHA) in Abuja.

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, charged women to turn 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’s 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,” the minister declared.

She said government programmes are already reaching women in all 774 local government areas through entrepreneurship support, skills acquisition, financial inclusion, and targeted interventions for vulnerable groups.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said women remain indispensable partners in nation-building and economic transformation.

Yilwatda said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed 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,” the APC chairman said.

He praised the newly formed group for creating a platform that would deepen mentorship, enterprise development, and leadership opportunities for women nationwide.

In her remarks, BWI-RHA Director-General Ngozi Oyewole described the organisation as a powerful movement designed to mobilise women for economic growth and national development.

She added that the platform would mentor women entrepreneurs, create business opportunities, promote leadership development, and advocate for 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,” Oyewole said.

Also speaking, the group’s Matron and Iyalode of Lagos, Bintu-Fatima Tinubu, urged women to seize the opportunity to build stronger families, businesses, and communities.