FG Reaffirms Commitment to Women’s Economic Empowerment as Minister Inspects NFWP-SU in Taraba

FG Reaffirms Commitment to Women’s Economic Empowerment as Minister Inspects NFWP-SU in Taraba

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming rural women into economically empowered entrepreneurs and strengthening livelihoods at the grassroots through targeted investments, skills development and access to finance.

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, FSI, stated this during a field inspection of the implementation of the Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) in Zing Local Government Area of Taraba State.

The Minister said the visit was aimed at assessing the impact of the programme, interacting directly with beneficiaries and ensuring that investments under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda were delivering measurable benefits to women at the grassroots.

“This visit is about seeing the impact on the ground, listening to our women and ensuring that the resources of the Federal Government are reaching the people they are intended to serve. We are here to monitor progress, evaluate results and strengthen what is working,” she said.

Over 162,000 Women Empowered

According to the Minister, the Nigeria for Women Project and its Scale-Up component have so far empowered more than 162,445 women, established over 6,900 Women Affinity Groups (WAGs), disbursed ₦3.548 billion in livelihood grants and mobilised more than ₦2.388 billion in savings among participating women.

She said the programme’s success demonstrates the impact of organising women into affinity groups, providing financial resources, strengthening their skills and connecting them to sustainable economic opportunities.

The Minister disclosed that 40 processing centres had been established across three Local Government Areas in Taraba State, comprising 26 groundnut, 13 rice and one oil-palm processing centres.

She described the facilities as important platforms for helping women move from subsistence production to value addition, commercial agriculture and access to competitive markets.

“These processing hubs are not just buildings or machines; they represent economic opportunities. They provide the pathway for our women to move from primary production to value addition, create jobs, increase productivity and strengthen Nigeria’s food and agricultural value chains,” she said.

FG Promotes Financial Discipline and Green Enterprise

Sulaiman-Ibrahim commended beneficiaries for demonstrating financial discipline, noting that livelihood grants ranging from ₦30,000 to ₦60,000 had been disbursed to thousands of women, while participants had also built substantial savings through their groups.

She urged beneficiaries to maintain proper financial records and ensure transparency and accountability in managing grants and collective assets, stressing that sound financial management would improve their ability to attract larger investments and participate in commercial markets.

The Minister also highlighted the programme’s climate-smart component, which has trained 170 women master trainers in briquette production.

She said the initiative would enable women to participate in green enterprises while contributing to environmental sustainability and the adoption of cleaner energy solutions.

Programme Expands Across Communities

The Minister disclosed that the pilot phase established 3,604 Women Affinity Groups, while an additional 3,296 groups were established under the Scale-Up programme, bringing the total number of active groups to more than 6,900.

She said 85,842 women were empowered during the pilot phase, exceeding the initial target of 54,000, while the Scale-Up component had already mobilised an additional 76,603 women.

Beyond economic empowerment, she said the programme was also producing social benefits, including the enrolment of 2,500 women in the Taraba State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme to access healthcare.

She further commended beneficiaries for using their social emergency funds to address community needs, including providing hospital beds and clean water facilities.

“The strength of NFWP-SU is that it goes beyond giving women money. It builds financial discipline, enterprise capacity, digital skills, social protection and community resilience,” the Minister said.

She urged the Taraba State Government, private-sector investors and financial institutions to strengthen partnerships around the processing centres and women-led enterprises to expand market access, create jobs, improve food security and unlock additional economic opportunities.

She also encouraged existing WAG members to mentor women in newly incorporated Local Government Areas, sustain regular savings, embrace digital literacy and transition into structured Livelihood Collectives capable of accessing larger grants and commercial markets.

Taraba Government Pledges Continued Support

Earlier, the Taraba State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Child Development, Mrs Mary Sinjen, FCNA, ACTI, who represented Governor Dr Agbu Kefas, appreciated the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for prioritising the state.

She said the state government was fully aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on women’s economic empowerment as a pathway to peace, prosperity and sustainable development.

The Commissioner described the NFWP-SU intervention as a major catalyst for transforming rural women from subsistence-level operators into viable commercial agricultural entrepreneurs.

“The transition into the Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up has breathed new life into our local communities, moving our women from basic subsistence livelihoods into viable, commercial-scale agricultural business owners,” she said.

She commended women in Zing and other participating communities for their resilience, hard work and commitment to the programme, assuring the Federal Government of Taraba State’s continued partnership.

The Minister’s field visit included engagements with beneficiaries and community stakeholders, inspections of livelihood and processing activities, and an assessment of the programme’s impact.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim reaffirmed that the Federal Government would continue to prioritise women as key drivers of economic growth, food security, social transformation and community resilience, stressing:

“We will leave no woman behind.”

FG Reaffirms Commitment to Women’s Economic Empowerment as Minister Inspects NFWP-SU in Taraba