Investment in girls’ education offers highest return for Nigeria – UN Women

By Favour Ulebor, Abuja

The Representative of UN Women to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, has said investing in girls’ education and supporting women with special needs provides the highest return for Nigeria’s economic growth.

She made the remarks on Tuesday at a symposium in Abuja marking the closing of International Women’s Month 2026.

Eyong explained that many women face overlapping disadvantages that often go unaddressed in policy planning.

She highlighted women living with HIV, persons with disabilities, elderly women, and internally displaced persons as groups whose inclusion in national development planning is critical for economic progress.

Speaking at the same event, the Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, said inclusive investment is not just a social responsibility but an economic priority.

She noted that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the government has shifted focus from expenditure to investment budgeting, targeting measurable outcomes such as jobs, infrastructure, and economic productivity.

She said, “The forthcoming National Development Plan 2026–2030 aims to build a one trillion dollar economy anchored on inclusion.

“When an internally displaced woman is given a livelihood and protected from violence, she becomes an entrepreneur, a trader, a mother who rebuilds her family. Inclusive investments generate the highest returns. They are the most efficient use of public resources.”

Also speaking, Country Director of UNAIDS, Ms. Boonto Krittayawa, warned that global progress on gender equality remains slow, emphasizing that without urgent interventions, existing gaps could take centuries to close.

She cited limited political representation, economic inequality, and exposure to violence as key challenges affecting women in Nigeria and globally.

Representing the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Princess Joan Jumai highlighted government initiatives such as the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention 774, which aims to reach millions of vulnerable women across local government areas through strengthened partnerships and improved service delivery.

Acting Deputy Representative of UN Women, Patience Ekeoba, said the symposium provided a platform for affected groups to share their experiences and influence policy decisions, adding that a communiqué outlining challenges and actionable recommendations would guide stakeholders.

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