Minister of Women Affairs, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, on Tuesday hailed the launch of Tikera Africa’s Women-Led Artisanship Initiative as a “revolution” in economic empowerment, vowing full government support to scale its impact nationwide.
Speaking in Abuja, the Minister said the initiative marked Nigeria’s “Women O’Clock”, a moment when women are driving innovation, leading boardrooms, and excelling globally in sports and culture.
“Nigerian women are not just part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu; they are its living proof,” she said, citing the Super Falcons and D’Tigress as continental champions.
With over 150 million women and girls, Sulaiman-Ibrahim described Nigeria’s female population as “the engine of our economic and cultural strength,” contributing in industries from Kano leather craft to adire exports, shea butter, cassava processing, and aquaculture.
She pledged to put women at the centre of the administration’s $1 trillion economy target, pointing to flagship projects such as the Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up, which will reach 4.5 million women, and the Women Agro Value Expansion (WAVE) programme, which links women to major value chains and export markets.
The Minister also announced formalised artisanship training at the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, with government-accredited certifications to boost earning power and market access.
She urged women to embrace digital tools like the Ministry’s Happy Woman App for skills, mentorship, funding, and trade opportunities.
“If you can hold a phone, you can hold your next opportunity,” she told participants.
Tikera Africa founder and former Presidential Photographer, Bayo Omoboriowo, said the platform seeks to transform Nigeria’s creative and cultural industries into global economic drivers.
“We bridge the gap between raw talent and enterprise,” he said. “Our pillars are knowing more through knowledge transfer, doing more by enabling creatives to scale, and earning more so the industry can contribute to GDP. No creative deserves to earn less than they’re worth.”
Omoboriowo argued that the creative sector can rebrand Africa’s image from aid dependency to value creation, pledging partnerships with government, development agencies, and the private sector to deliver transparent, merit-based opportunities.
Tikera Africa’s Board of Trustees, chaired by Channels TV founder John Momoh, includes venture capitalist Kola Aina, African Philanthropy Forum director Mosun Layode, and retired Creative Arts professor Duro Oni.
The board vowed to drive sustainability, scale, and global competitiveness.
The launch also featured The Weavers Hub, a women-led programme that trains underserved women in heritage weaving, helping them scale into sustainable ventures.
It forms part of Tikera’s wider initiatives, including The Creative Village and The Madhouse, designed to accelerate Africa’s creative economy through education, trade, policy advocacy, and sustainable business development.
“We are creating impact for impact, the kind the ordinary African can truly feel,” Omoboriowo said.
