Stakeholders, including members of parliament, international donor organizations, and Kano State government officials, have agreed to push for strong advocacy towards the implementation of the Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) policy for reduced poverty, financial inclusion, corporate representation, and provision of digital access to Nigeria’s 49.3 percent population.

At a One-day WEE domestication validation retreat, weekend in Abuja, organized by the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), the stakeholders agreed that for Nigeria to experience much-desired economic development and to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), women’s economic empowerment must be prioritized.

Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Ibrahim-Sulaiman, said that the “WEE policy is very strategic as it provides a very holistic and multisectoral approach to women’s empowerment interventions in Nigeria.”

Represented by the Director of Economic Services in the ministry, Blessing Anunuke, the minister commended the dRPC for its doggedness in sustaining advocacy for the WEE implementation and noted that “as a blueprint and coordinative document, the WEE policy provides intervention for the government of Nigeria and its partners, stakeholders in public and private sectors, to address the gaps existing in all strata of society.

“The document represents a crucial milestone in promoting gender equality and creating a more inclusive and prosperous society.”

Kano State Commissioner for Women, Children, and the Disabled, Hajiya Amina Abdullahi-Sanu, observed and explained that the Kano State government is committed to bettering the lives of its women for inclusive development.

She said that the state government has proven its commitment to the WEE policy and is already “providing a monthly stipend disbursement of ₦50,000 each to at least 5,200 women aimed at improving an inclusive environment where women can thrive and contribute to the development of the state.”

Speaking on the importance of state governors’ participation in the WEE drive, Gender Lead, Albright Stonebridge Group, Rinmiat Aboki, said that because the organization works with the Nigerian Governor’s Forum to promote the WEE policy, “Albright Stonebridge Group is supporting the implementation of the policy at the national level and has a catalyst fund that supports the domestication and implementation of the national WEE policy at the sub-national level.”

Founding member and Executive Director of dRPC, Dr. Judith Ann-Walker, explained that a key point of the WEE advocacy is to rally support for the policy’s implementation.

According to her, to ensure sustainability, at the national and sub-national levels, data must be collected to entrench the policy.

“The challenge is the point of nexus. While fiscal space is tight, funding isn’t really a challenge as States make yearly budgets, and this is where it comes in. We can prioritize those soft areas like women and make funding available because supporting women is a catalytic activity, so prioritizing women is very essential.”