In a landmark move to advance women’s economic empowerment in Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs has entered into a strategic partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women to transform the entrepreneurial landscape for women across the country.
The partnership was formally launched during a high-level signing ceremony at the private residence of Cherie Blair CBE KC, Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.
Present at the ceremony were the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, and senior officials of the Foundation, marking the beginning of a results-oriented collaboration focused on boosting access to training, finance, and market opportunities for women-led enterprises across Nigeria.
In a statement shared by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Jonathan Eze, on Wednesday in Abuja, the initiative was described as a bold step toward removing systemic barriers faced by women entrepreneurs and fostering inclusive economic growth.
Cherie Blair expressed strong support for the initiative, stating: “I have enormous appreciation for the Ministry’s vision and commitment to women entrepreneurs in Nigeria—one that I share. Women and their businesses are critical to Nigeria's economy, and we must address the challenges they face to ensure sustainable growth, economic independence, and representation as leaders.”
This collaboration directly aligns with the Ministry’s flagship Renewed Hope Social Impact Interventions – 774, a key pillar of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, focused on improving the lives of women, children, families, and vulnerable groups across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas (LGAs).
Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim underscored the significance of the partnership, emphasizing its transformative potential: “Empowering women economically is not optional—it is essential. Through this collaboration, we are scaling real tools, real access, and real opportunity. We are not just telling stories of change; we are building systems of change that will uplift millions of Nigerian women and strengthen the future of our economy.”
She added that the partnership was the result of months of strategic alignment, trust-building, and a shared mission to deliver measurable impact.
The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, which has already supported nearly 150,000 women entrepreneurs in Nigeria, sees this partnership as a key milestone in expanding its proven model.
According to the Foundation’s CEO, Dhivya O’Connor: “We welcome the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs’ adoption of our tried-and-tested approach to women’s entrepreneurship development—specialist training, digital technology to engage women, strong localization, and committed, long-term collaboration.”
As the initiative kicks off, it promises to usher in a new era of opportunity for Nigerian women entrepreneurs, leveraging the combined expertise and resources of both institutions to build a more inclusive and prosperous economy.