Nigeria urges women’s empowerment at UN CSW70 (2026) in New York

Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to women’s empowerment. Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, stated this at the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), holding at the UN Headquarters in New York. Representatives of United Nations member states, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organisations (NGOs) […]

Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to women’s empowerment.

Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, stated this at the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), holding at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Representatives of United Nations member states, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from all regions of the world are currently attending the event from 9 to 19 March, 2026.

Represented at the event by Jummai Idonijie, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, said, “Economic empowerment is the pathway for resolving every societal crisis. Because when a woman is empowered, the family is empowered, the society is empowered, and it solves a lot of problems in society.”

She also highlighted the introduction of a digital platform called ‘Happy Women app’, “and it is an app designed to connect over 20 million women into the digital space in terms of mentoring, in terms of services and goods.”

Also, stakeholders at the NGO CSW70 Forum side event on “Building the Next Generation of Female Leaders: Empowering Girls in STEM and Public Decision-Making, and Economic Empowerment as a Pathway to Justice,” called for stronger investments in women’s economic empowerment, financial inclusion and leadership development as pathways to justice and sustainable development.

Among the Nigerian non-governmental organisations attending the event, the Helpline Social Support Initiative (HSSI) has emphasised that empowering women and girls remains essential to building resilient and prosperous societies.

The organisation’s founder, Dr Jumai Ahmadu, stated during the event, held under the Africa Women Conference platform, “The task before us is clear. We must expand women’s financial inclusion, strengthen mentorship networks, increase girls’ access to STEM education, and create leadership pathways that ensure no woman or girl is left behind”.

The outcome of the Commission’s consideration of the priority theme during this 70th session will take the form