The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has asserted that Nigerian women must receive structured support to transition into vibrant household production lines capable of driving economic growth, ensuring food security, and eliminating poverty. ​
The Minister made this declaration in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, aimed at fostering strategic collaborations on women empowerment and agribusiness development. ​According to Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the main bottleneck hindering women from scaling up their agribusiness and production ventures is a systemic lack of financial access.
She emphasized that while Nigerian women already possess the resilience, skills, and entrepreneurial drive required to succeed, they are often held back by a lack of capital and productive assets. ​”Beyond supporting smallholder farmers, we must also think about women who are already in production but need support to grow their ventures,” the Minister stated.
“They should be able to become household production lines, creating value, generating income, and contributing to national development.” ​To address these challenges, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs is actively deploying targeted initiatives to empower women nationwide. The Women Agricultural Empowerment initiative is actively addressing deep-seated gaps by steering resources toward women in agriculture, agro-processing, and local food systems.
The Minister lamented the plight of rural women who endure long hours of manual labor on external farms for meager wages, noting that shifting investments directly to these women will structurally uplift household incomes. ​In response, BOA Managing Director Ayo Sotinrin reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to prioritizing women-focused financing frameworks.
The partnership expects to bridge the critical funding gap, enhancing credit access, financial inclusion, and market entry points for female entrepreneurs across Nigeria.
