Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to gender equality, declaring that women will lead Africa’s projected $29 trillion economic transformation.
He made this statement while launching Project #SheIsIncluded during the opening of the 2025 Gender Inclusion Conference in Abuja on Thursday.
The initiative aims to bridge gender gaps in finance and the economy, further emphasizing Nigeria’s dedication to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5: gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
The conference, themed “Breaking Barriers, Building Resilience for Sustainable Women’s Economic and Financial Inclusion,” follows the 2024 Aso Accord for Economic and Financial Inclusion, reinforcing Nigeria’s broader development agenda.
“We cannot build the Nigeria or Africa we envision without fully integrating women into our economic systems. Women are not just participants; they are leaders, innovators, and the bedrock of sustainable development,” Shettima stated.
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Project #SheIsIncluded will focus on four key pillars: education and financial literacy, maternal healthcare, gender-sensitive policies, and expanded economic opportunities for women.
The initiative will span all 774 local government areas across Nigeria, ensuring that no woman is left behind.
“This is not a cosmetic performance to placate progressives; it is a fundamental pillar of our national development agenda,” Shettima emphasised.
The project will be led by the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion in collaboration with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.
Shettima urged both public and private sector stakeholders to use the conference as a platform for outlining actionable steps towards gender inclusion.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, underscored the importance of gender inclusion in sustainable development, emphasising its role in addressing poverty and fostering economic growth.
She affirmed that the judiciary would collaborate with stakeholders to protect women’s rights, ensuring they have access to economic resources and property ownership.
In a recorded message, UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed celebrated the conference as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards gender inclusion, urging global investments in women’s empowerment.
She stressed that empowering women leads to prosperous communities and growing economies.
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Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, praised Shettima’s leadership in promoting inclusive growth, noting that the conference would serve as a model for gender equity in Nigeria.
Similarly, Hajiya Sulaiman Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, highlighted the conference as an opportunity to strengthen frameworks for dismantling barriers to women’s empowerment.
Governors from various states, including Uba Sani of Kaduna, Umar Namadi of Jigawa, and Monday Okpebholo of Edo, voiced their support for gender inclusion policies at the state level.
They outlined ongoing programs to support women in agriculture, commerce, and other sectors.
Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, Nurudeen Zauro, described the conference as a platform for aligning goals and creating actionable plans to foster financial inclusion.
Industry leaders, including Tosin Eniolorunda, Founder of Moniepoint Microfinance Bank, and Oliver Alawuba, CEO of UBA Group, commended the administration’s focus on gender inclusion, stressing its economic importance.
Alawuba emphasised that empowering women is key to unlocking the full potential of society and the economy.
The event also saw participation from key figures such as Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency, as well as first ladies and CEOs from various financial institutions.
