AWC @ 10: FCTA CALLS FOR GREATER ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT, FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE FOR WOMEN
By: Prudence Okonna
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has called for deliberate efforts to translate women’s rights and policy commitments into greater economic empowerment, financial independence and leadership opportunities for women.
The Permanent Secretary, FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, Hajiya Asmau Mukhtar, Esq., made the call at the opening ceremony of the 10th anniversary of the Africa Women Conference (AWC) on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, in Accra, Ghana
Mukhtar, who also represented the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, stressed the need to expand women’s access to income, productive assets, business ownership and financial opportunities.
She said Nigeria was strengthening its policy, legislative and institutional frameworks to ensure that commitments to women’s advancement translated into sustainable outcomes through improved coordination, accountability and effective implementation.
Adding that these efforts were being pursued through the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention Agenda’s nine-pillar framework, designed to extend coordinated social interventions across the country’s 774 local government areas.
Congratulating the conference on a decade of advocacy and action, the Permanent Secretary said the framework was intended to bring development closer to communities and ensure that women, girls, children, families and vulnerable populations benefit from targeted interventions.
She emphasised that women’s advancement must go beyond policy declarations to deliver measurable improvements in their economic circumstances and participation in leadership.
Earlier, the Convener of the Africa Women Conference, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, said the platform was established ten years ago to provide African women and women of African descent with opportunities to share experiences, build partnerships and develop practical, Afrocentric solutions to challenges affecting their communities.
Speaking on the theme, “A Decade of Impact: From Commitments to Action – Advancing Justice, Economic Power and Leadership for African Women and Girls,” she said the anniversary offered an opportunity to assess achievements and strengthen efforts to turn commitments into tangible improvements in women’s lives.
Ahmadu identified access to justice, finance, skills, technology and markets as critical to women’s advancement, while highlighting the need for education, mentorship, safe environments and equal opportunities for girls aspiring to leadership.
The convener, however, stressed that the impact of the conference must extend beyond the gathering to reach rural women, women living with disabilities, young women seeking leadership opportunities and girls vulnerable to poverty, violence, trafficking and exploitation.
She challenged delegates to assess the conference’s success by examining what had changed, whose lives had improved and which commitments had translated into actual opportunities.
The Chairman of the occasion, Hauwa Aduda, Chief Executive Officer of Finado Groups and Companies and founder of PHPA Grassroots of the Girls’ Tame Alliance, encouraged women to pursue their ambitions irrespective of their starting points.
She urged them to take advantage of available opportunities, acquire relevant skills and prepare for greater responsibilities across business, public service, education, agriculture, technology and other sectors, noting that humble beginnings should not limit their aspirations.
Also speaking, the representative of the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), Tsonam Akpelo, reaffirmed the African Union’s commitment to promoting women’s participation in governance and economic development.
He also highlighted the African Union’s commitment to gender balance within its Commission and urged women entrepreneurs to explore opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), particularly the Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade, which provides a framework for addressing barriers and expanding opportunities for women engaged in cross-border trade.
He noted that stronger participation in regional trade could contribute to women’s economic advancement and broaden their access to markets.
The first day of the conference also featured two panel sessions focusing on strategies for improving women’s representation in governance and strengthening financial inclusion for African women.
Abuja Digest reports that the 10th anniversary gathering equally paid tribute to the late Mr. Francis Duru, a longstanding supporter of the conference and the Helpline Social Support Initiative, in recognition of his contributions to the platform.
