The Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (MBNCWD), the National Gallery of Art (NGA) and De-Verge Security & Logistics Services Limited have entered into a tripartite partnership to document, preserve and showcase the contributions of Nigerian women to national development.

Under the agreement, the three institutions will implement “The Amazon 1.0,” a six-month initiative that will spotlight 66 Nigerian women whose lives and contributions reflect leadership, courage, resilience, sacrifice and service across different sectors and parts of the country.

The partnership, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Aisha Babangida Nigerian Hall of Fame, Abuja, yesterday, seeks to use art, documentation and storytelling to create a lasting record of women whose contributions may otherwise be overlooked in Nigeria’s national narrative.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of MBNCWD, Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, said the initiative was designed to ensure that the experiences and achievements of remarkable Nigerian women become part of the country’s heritage.

Benjamins-Laniyi said: “This partnership is about creating a lasting record of women whose courage, leadership, sacrifice and service have helped shape Nigeria, while ensuring that their stories continue to inspire generations to come.”

She explained that the collaboration with NGA would bring together visual art and storytelling to give wider national visibility to the achievements of Nigerian women.

According to her, the 66 women selected for the project would represent a record of female accomplishment while providing younger generations with examples of women who have contributed to nation-building.

She said the Centre would provide institutional support for the initiative, including official authorisation and stakeholder engagement, while nominating representatives to the Joint Project Steering Committee responsible for strategic guidance, coordination and oversight during the six-month implementation period.

“The Centre is committed to collaborating with our partners to ensure that The Amazon 1.0 achieves its purpose of celebrating our women, preserving their stories and inspiring the generations coming behind them,” she said.

Beyond celebration to preservation

The partnership also brings a cultural preservation dimension to the project, with the National Gallery of Art expected to contribute its expertise in visual art, exhibitions and creative engagement.

The Director-General of NGA, Ahmed Bashir Sodangi, explained that the agency’s mandate to promote, preserve and develop modern and contemporary Nigerian art provides a basis for its involvement in the initiative.

He noted that the National Commission for Museums and Monuments handles museums, monuments, antiquities and archaeological heritage, while the National Gallery of Art focuses on modern and contemporary Nigerian art.

Sodangi said this distinction creates opportunities for the Gallery to work with other institutions on exhibitions, innovation, skills development and creative-economy initiatives.

“Art is not static; it is dynamic. Our mandate allows us to embrace new techniques, innovations, and new ways of engaging with art. This partnership gives us an opportunity to create something with lasting value,” he said.

He disclosed that discussions had also centred on rotational exhibitions from the National Gallery of Art’s collection at the Centre, particularly at its Art and Craft Centre.

According to him, such exhibitions could provide members of the diplomatic community, visitors and other stakeholders with opportunities to engage with Nigerian art and culture.

From 66 women to a legacy fund

For De-Verge Security & Logistics Services Limited, the initiative is intended to go beyond a commemorative event to establishing a longer-term legacy around the women being documented.

The Managing Director of the company, Bala Dauda, said the 66 women represent different dimensions of Nigerian life, with their stories cutting across regions, professions and generations.

He said the project was consistent with the company’s founding objective of protecting, delivering and securing lives and had now been extended to preserving the legacy of Nigerian women.

“When we founded De-Verge, our charter was clear and uncomplicated: to protect, to deliver, to secure lives, and to deliver hope. Today, that mandate has been elevated. We are now entrusted with a higher calling: to secure the legacy of Nigerian women, and to deliver their stories to this nation and to the world,” Dauda said.

He said the women selected for the initiative embody what he described as the Nigerian spirit, with their contributions spanning different geographical locations and fields, from education and agriculture to business, leadership and the arts.

Importantly, Dauda announced plans to establish “The 66 Special Legacy Trust Fund” in 2027, an endowment intended to extend the impact of the project beyond the initial documentation and exhibition.

He said the proposed fund would support scholarships, enterprise development and leadership opportunities, potentially transforming the recognition of the 66 women into opportunities for younger Nigerians.

Dauda said De-Verge would seek to mobilise resources from members of the public, corporate organisations and Nigerians in the diaspora for the initiative.

He added: “This is not merely an event. This is a movement. This is a message to every little girl in Sokoto, Lagos, Enugu, Bayelsa and Maiduguri that says: ‘See her? That can be you.’”

The partnership reflects a growing effort to place women’s achievements within Nigeria’s broader cultural and national development narrative, using documentation and creative expression to preserve experiences that may otherwise be lost or inadequately represented.

For MBNCWD, the initiative also provides an opportunity to connect the documentation of women’s achievements with institutional platforms capable of reaching younger women and girls.

The project is expected to be guided by a Joint Project Steering Committee, with the three partners providing institutional, technical and resource support throughout its implementation.

The event ended with a tour of the Centre, including the 18-foot “Omalicha” sculpture, as well as group photographs to mark the signing of the agreement.