Inside Nigeria’s Bold Plan To Empower 10Million Women And Protect Children

Nigeria’s Minister of Wom­en Affairs, Imaan Sulaim­an-Ibrahim, had been in office for just a few days when she cradled a terrified 4-year-old girl—shaking, traumatised—af­ter surviving brutal abuse.

That moment, she says, changed everything.

“I looked into her eyes, and I knew—this cannot be business as usual,” Sulaiman-Ibrahim told re­porters in Abuja during a briefing marking her first 100 days in office under President Bola Ahmed Tinu­bu’s administration. “The time for slow progress is over. It is Women O’Clock in Nigeria.”

And she’s not kidding.

In just over three months, Su­laiman-Ibrahim has rolled out an ambitious plan to economically em­power 10 million Nigerian women by 2027, overhaul child protection laws, and put Nigeria at the front­lines of global gender leadership.

Her message? Policies are not enough. It’s action time.

Big Moves: 10 Million Women By 2027

The minister’s plan centres on a major push to unlock the econom­ic potential of Nigerian women— more than 100 million strong—as drivers of the country’s future.

“We’re not just talking about women’s empowerment as charity,” Sulaiman-Ibrahim said.

“We’re talking about building a $1 trillion economy; women will be at the centre of it.”

The Ministry launched the Ni­geria for Women Scale-Up Project, backed by the World Bank, to reach 4.5 million women across all 36 states and the capital, Abuja.

The goal? Equip women with business skills, financial literacy, and cooperative funding to start and grow businesses.

But that’s not all.

A partnership with WEMA Bank is rolling out the MOWA-SARA Skills Acquisition Programme, which targets 500,000 women for training in vocational skills, en­trepreneurship, and digital finance.

In Kano State, the pilot pro­gramme is already training 2,500 women in tailoring, catering, and hospitality.

And coming next—a National Mi­crofinance Framework for Women Entrepreneurs to give women af­fordable loans and investment tools to build their futures.

No Child Left Behind

Economic empowerment is only part of the story.

The other half ?

Protecting Nigeria’s most vulner­able—its children.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim made it clear: “The nation’s children are now a top priority.

A Child Rights Act Review Committee is already working to toughen laws against child abuse, trafficking, and underage mar­riage—problems that have plagued Nigeria for years.

“We’re closing the loopholes. We’re making sure no abuser es­capes justice,” the Minister said.

But she’s not stopping at laws.

Her Ministry is developing a National Child Protection Frame­work—a first-of-its-kind nationwide system to safeguard children—and is exploring the creation of a dedi­cated institution focused solely on child welfare.

In the meantime, Sulaiman-Ibra­him is tackling the everyday strug­gles holding girls back.

Her national menstrual hygiene campaign is distributing 10,000 menstrual kits to girls, aiming to keep them in school and break the stigma around periods.

Violence? Not On Her Watch

Sulaiman-Ibrahim’s message on gender-based violence is blunt: Enough is enough. Representing Nigeria at the Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Bogotá, Co­lombia, she unveiled bold targets:

“2 million children at risk of vio­lence will receive support services by 2030.

“10 million families will get ev­idence-based parenting support to prevent abuse at home.

“Nigeria is standing up,” she said. “We are saying—we will pro­tect our children.”

Clean Energy for Survival

Sulaiman-Ibrahim’s focus also extends to climate survival, know­ing that women in rural areas bear the harshest burden.

Her team is pushing to transition 1 million households from firewood cooking to clean energy solutions, reducing health risks and environ­mental damage.

Taking Nigeria to the World

But, Sulaiman-Ibrahim isn’t just shaking things up at home—she’s putting Nigeria on the global map for gender equality leadership.

This March, Nigeria will host six high-impact sessions—a his­toric first—on financial inclusion, women’s leadership, and child pro­tection at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York.

At COP29 in Azerbaijan, her Min­istry will push for gender-focused climate action, demanding that women’s voices be part of global climate solutions.

“We are no longer on the side­lines. Nigeria is leading the global gender conversation,” she said.

The Road Ahead

The High-Level Presidential Ad­visory Council on Women and Girls has been formed to keep the mo­mentum—bringing together policy leaders to ensure these programs don’t just stay on paper.

“We are breaking down doors so Nigerian women and children get what they deserve,” Sulaiman-Ibra­him said.

Her message to Nigerians?

“It is Women O’Clock. We are not asking for permission. We are mov­ing forward.”

The Bottom Line

In 100 days, Sulaiman-Ibrahim has taken Nigeria’s Ministry of Women Affairs from rhetoric to action.

The stakes are high.

But for the millions of Nigerian women and children depending on her, failure is not an optionV.

“We will get this done,” she said, with fire in her voice.

“Because their future depends on it.”

• O’tega Ogra, President Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant (Digital/ New Media)