Nigerian Government Launches Major Women Empowerment Drive In Nasarawa

 

The Nigerian Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to the empowerment of 10 million Nigerian women, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy.

Speaking in Keffi, Nasarawa State, at the commissioning of a 40-unit housing resettlement project named in honour of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the Minister announced Nasarawa State’s designation as a CEDAW City and its inclusion in the $500 million Nigeria for Women Project.

This initiative marks a significant step forward in the government’s commitment to gender equality and inclusive economic growth. Through targeted programs such as vocational training, micro-grants, psychosocial support, and leadership development, the project supported by the World Bank, aims to impact over five million women nationwide.

Highlighting the importance of sustainable support for Persons of Concern in Nigeria, the Minister emphasized that they deserve more than temporary shelters or prolonged transitions.

She urged beneficiaries not to see the resettlement city as a mere handout but as a symbol of national commitment to their dignity and future, a space where new beginnings can blossom into generational blessings.

The Oluremi Tinubu Renewed Hope Resettlement City, she noted, reflects the government’s unwavering dedication to human development through the Renewed Hope Agenda.

She said “These Resettlement Cities were never about brick and mortar alone. They were designed to promote self-reliance, social cohesion, and economic empowerment. For me, this is beyond shelter, but also about rights and restoration. We are restoring dignity, and affirming that displacement must not be final, This space is yours to own, to thrive in, and to shape. I encourage you to build legacies here.”

Sulaiman-Ibrahim commended the National Commission for Refugee, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), for actualising the project which was initiated during her tenure as Federal Commissioner, saying that 40 families receiving keys to their new homes, represents a major stride in providing durable solutions for displaced Nigerians; marking a shift from temporary relief to lasting restoration.

“A vision that began years ago has now grown wings and is now flying high. The resettlement city was initiated as part of the durable solutions framework under my leadership at NCFRMI. I am honoured to witness its full implementation by the current High Federal Commissioner’s affirmation that progress endures when national interest comes first. The actualization of this project demonstrates the importance of continuity in government and what institutional continuity can achieve when grounded in purpose and integrity,” she added.

The Minister appreciated Sen. Oluremi Tinubu for her inspiring leadership, deep compassion,  steadfast commitment to human capital development and restoring dignity and opportunity to the most vulnerable through the Renewed Hope Initiative, describing her vision as “beyond symbolic but also very structural”.

“The presence of Sen Oluremi Tinubu here today confirms the credibility of the vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which places human capital especially women and vulnerable populations – at the heart of Nigeria’s development model,” She lauded.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim stated that displacement disproportionately affects women and children, often robbing them of productivity, safety, and opportunity, and called for collaborative progress to replicate the model city across Nigeria, particularly in states grappling with severe displacement, to ensure that no community is left behind.

“This milestone demonstrates the power of collaboration and purpose-driven governance.

“When institutions collaborate, when leadership listens, and when citizens are at the centre of design, progress becomes inevitable. What institutional continuity can achieve when grounded in purpose and integrity,” she maintained.

An estimated 6.1 million individuals remain displaced across Nigeria, many of them, women and children. 

The newly commissioned Oluremi Tinubu Renewed Hope Resettlement City, situated in Keffi, Nasarawa State, will be home to  40 households, comprising 239 individuals, including refugees from Cameroon, South Sudan, and Central Africa; many of whom are women and girls who have endured unimaginable hardship.