The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), said on Thursday in Abuja that his government has fulfilled its promises to Nigerians—especially women—to reduce poverty and build a sustainable economy. Speaking at the launch of the Advisory Council, the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment Project, and the National Women’s Economic Empowerment Policy Dialogue, Buhari urged the Central Bank of Nigeria to heed concerns raised by the Special Ad‑hoc Committee on the Cashless Policy and Naira Swap in the lower chamber of the National Assembly. The remarks were released in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, titled “President Buhari says women, girls remain integral to development, launches high‑level advisory council on support.”
Buhari called for an upscaling of efforts to include women more fully in development policies and projects, noting that the three initiatives will target poverty reduction and the construction of a sustainable economy. “This is what we promised to all Nigerians—including our women and girls—when our party, the All Progressives Congress, was elected in 2015,” he said. “I am proud to say that our government has delivered over the past eight years.” He emphasized that the well‑being of women and girls is a pivotal indicator of a nation’s progress in achieving its developmental goals.
The President expressed satisfaction with the progress made in integrating the needs of Nigerian women and girls into national economic planning, policy development, public programming, and financial management. However, he acknowledged gaps in harnessing government resources, private‑sector innovation and efficiency, and the technical expertise of social and development partners to drive empowerment outcomes. Coordination, he noted, has remained a key shortfall in improving livelihoods and democratizing opportunities for women and girls. “It is expected that the High‑Level Advisory Council on Nigeria’s Support for Women and Girls, which I am very proud to inaugurate today, therefore comes as an answered prayer to bridge this identified gap,” Buhari said.
He challenged the council to fulfill its mandate by fostering collaboration and action toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5—Gender Equality—by 2030. Buhari commended Minister of Women’s Affairs Pauline Tallen, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning Zainab Ahmed, and Minister of Education Adamu Adamu for exemplifying collaboration and innovation in service delivery. He also thanked private and social‑sector partners, especially the council’s private‑sector co‑chairs, for their involvement in improving the lives of Nigerian women and girls. Concluding, the President stressed that true national development is impossible without the empowerment of women and girls and urged all stakeholders to redouble their efforts for gender equity and equality.
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