The Federal Government, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and UN Women, on Wednesday inaugurated the Nigeria Gender Profile and Roadmap to Equality 2030 to address disparities.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said the document provided an evidence-based assessment of gender equality and a framework for achieving national targets by 2030.
She said the profile served two purposes by presenting an honest picture of the current state of gender equality in Nigeria and outlining practical steps toward achieving national commitments.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim described gender equality as a strategic investment in national development, emphasising that advancing equal opportunities for women and girls would strengthen families, communities and the country’s economy.
“Gender equality is not a concession; it is a sound investment in the strength of our nation. When women and girls enjoy equal access to education, finance, leadership and security, families are more stable, communities are more resilient and the economy grows,” she said.
The minister said the roadmap, developed with support from AfDB and UN Women, offered the most comprehensive assessment of gender disparities in Nigeria and outlined priority actions for addressing them.
She added that government was already supporting implementation through initiatives including the Renewed Hope Social Impact Interventions and the Nigeria for Women Programme, which reached more than 560,000 women.
Earlier, Dr Abdul Kamara, Acting Vice President, Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery and Director-General for Nigeria, African Development Bank Group, described gender equality as an economic imperative.
“Gender equality is not a social objective. It is an economic imperative. Nigeria cannot afford to leave half of its population behind,” he said.
Kamara said persistent inequalities in education, finance, employment and leadership continued to constrain inclusive growth and sustainable development, limiting the country’s ability to maximise its economic potential.
According to him, closing gender gaps could unlock between two and three per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product annually, creating significant opportunities for national economic transformation.
“This is not marginal. This is transformational,” he said.
Kamara said the roadmap provided policymakers, investors and development partners with a practical framework for advancing inclusive and sustainable development, emphasising that implementation remained the critical challenge.
“The challenge is no longer about commitments. It is about implementation at scale,” he said.
He added that empowering women as workers, entrepreneurs, leaders and innovators would make Nigeria more prosperous, resilient and competitive in an increasingly globalised and dynamic economy.
“Gender equality is not only the right thing to do; it is the smartest investment Nigeria can make for its future,” he said.
Also speaking, the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, represented by Mr Dama Ghimire, said persistent inequalities continued limiting Nigeria’s development potential and economic progress.
Eyong said women remained concentrated in lower-income and informal sectors in spite of their significant contributions to economic activities, while representation in political leadership and decision-making positions remained low.
“Gender equality is not a standalone agenda. It is the thread that runs across economic transformation, democratic governance, human capital development, climate resilience and sustainable peace. When gender equality advances, development accelerates,” she said.
The UN representative said the roadmap reflected a shared responsibility extending beyond the Ministry of Women Affairs to governments, development institutions, the private sector and civil society organisations.
“This is not a roadmap for the Ministry of Women Affairs alone. It is a roadmap for all ministries, federal and state governments, development finance institutions, the private sector and civil society,” the representative said.
According to her, the inauguration marked the beginning of a new phase focused on implementation, accountability and measurable results toward achieving gender equality commitments and development objectives.
“Today’s inauguration is not the end of a process. It is the beginning of a new phase of action,” she said.
The roadmap is expected to guide implementation of gender equality commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals and National Development Plan 2026-2030.
