The Federal Government has outlined policies and financial market reforms aimed at tackling the persistent barriers facing women-owned businesses, particularly limited access to credit, markets, and long-term capital.
Speaking at the grand finale of the “Give to Gain” Summit in Abuja to mark the 2026 International Women’s Month, Monday, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said the government is shifting from advocacy to targeted interventions designed to unlock the economic potential of women.
The minister disclosed that over 80 per cent of women-owned businesses in Nigeria currently lack access to formal credit, largely confining them to the informal sector and limiting their growth.
To address this, she noted the rollout of the Renewed Hope Social Impact Interventions (RH-SII 774), a nationwide programme structured to deliver grants, microcredit, and enterprise financing to women across all 774 local government areas.
According to her, the initiative goes beyond funding to include skills acquisition, vocational training, agricultural value-chain support, clean energy solutions, and structured mentorship, all aimed at helping women scale their businesses sustainably.
On the financial markets side, the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Dr. Emomotimi Agama, represented by Executive Commissioner, Operations, Mr. Bola Ajomale, emphasised the need to move women entrepreneurs from reliance on short-term financing to long-term wealth creation through the capital market.
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