Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to advancing gender equality, delivering a powerful address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Speaking at the High-Level Meeting to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Minister described the landmark agreement as a “transformative vision” to dismantle discrimination and empower women and girls worldwide.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim highlighted Nigeria’s progress in expanding access to education for girls, breaking leadership barriers for women, strengthening laws against gender-based violence, and opening new opportunities in governance and science.
She, however, acknowledged persistent challenges such as systemic inequalities, climate change, conflict, and the digital divide, stressing that the pace of global progress must accelerate to achieve gender equality by 2030.
Unveiling Nigeria’s renewed commitments, the Minister spotlighted education as the most powerful tool for change, alongside initiatives such as the Renewed Hope Women Agro-Value Expansion Programme, which aims to empower 10 million women across the agricultural value chain.
On political participation, she said Nigeria is deliberately increasing women’s representation through Special Reserved Seats in governance and decision-making, describing gender equality as “an economic imperative, a social necessity, and the foundation of sustainable development and peace.”
“The verdict of history is clear,” she declared. “Nations that empower women are more prosperous, more peaceful, and more resilient.”
The Minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s zero-tolerance approach to gender-based violence and called for global partnerships to transform pledges into measurable action.
“Nigeria stands ready to work with all nations, civil society, and the private sector to fulfill the promise of Beijing—for every woman, for every girl, everywhere,” she added.