In a high-level signing ceremony held at the private residence of Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, Cherie Blair CBE KC, Minister of Women Affairs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim formally launched a landmark partnership between the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the Foundation to transform the economic trajectory of women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.
The ceremony brought together senior delegates from the Ministry and leadership from the Foundation, marking the start of a results-driven collaboration focused on scaling access to training, finance, and market opportunities for women-led businesses across the country.
According to Cherie Blair, “I have enormous appreciation for the Ministry’s vision of and commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs in Nigeria, one that I share. We know well how important women and their businesses are to Nigeria, and so we must address the challenges they face in order that they can grow and sustain their businesses, enjoy economic independence, and be represented fully as leaders. I am grateful to the Honourable Minister for her partnership and look forward to working together to advance women’s entrepreneurship.”
The partnership aligns with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs’ Renewed Hope Social Impact Interventions – 774, a flagship programme developed under the Renewed Hope Agenda championed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The initiative, led by Honourable Minister Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, aims to transform the lives of women, children, families, and vulnerable populations across Nigeria’s 774 LGAs.
In her affirmation, Sulaiman-Ibrahim said, “This partnership reflects our shared belief that empowering women economically is not optional, it is essential. Through this collaboration, we are scaling real tools, real access, and real opportunity. We’re not just telling stories of change; we are building systems of change that will uplift millions of Nigerian women and strengthen the future of our economy.”
Special Assistant to the Minister on Strategic Partnerships, Chinny Okoye who led technical discussions and engagements in the lead-up to the signing said, “This partnership is the outcome of months of alignment, trust-building, and a shared mission to deliver measurable impact. I’m grateful to the Honourable Minister for her consistent leadership and support throughout this process. What we’ve built is a framework that will unlock long-term, transformative value for women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.”
While CEO, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, Dhivya O’Connor added, “Nigeria is a highly important country for the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, where we are proud to have supported nearly 150,000 incredible women to build businesses. We welcome the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs adopting this tried-and-tested recipe to successfully support women’s entrepreneurship development: specialist training, digital technology to reach and engage women, strong localisation, and committed, long-term collaboration.”
