Abuja: The Gates Foundation has urged Nigerian leaders to accelerate action on gender equality goals by moving from policy launches to real delivery for women and girls. The foundation emphasises that Nigeria’s development success hinges on translating policies into tangible actions that benefit women to achieve common goals in women’s health and inclusive economic growth.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Ekenem Isichei, Deputy Director of Programme Advocacy and Communications (PAC) at the Gates Foundation, made the call during his keynote address at the 2025 Gender and Inclusion Summit organised by the Policy Innovation Centre (PIC), Abuja. The summit with the theme: ‘New Voices and New Approaches for Accelerating Inclusive Society’, brought together government, private sector and civil society to discuss gender inclusion and its impact on economic growth and development.
Isichei said inclusive growth cannot be achieved unless women are intentionally prioritised in national and state policies, warning that progress made in women’s health and empowerment could stall without stronger institutional delivery and budgetary commitment. He highlighted the need to leverage knowledge and capital to enable the government to execute on budget commitments for key health innovations and to streamline donor delivery coordination mechanisms.
He emphasised that the conversation became important at a time when bilateral aid to Nigeria fell by 40 per cent, affecting programmes that support women’s health and empowerment. Isichei added that funding for maternal and child health dropped by 67 per cent, impacting access to critical women’s health commodities.
Isichei called on national and subnational governments to invest in skills systems and staying power to implement programmes effectively. He stressed the importance of institutionalising gender desks, strengthening planning and budget units, and equipping local PHC managers and Gender Officers with the tools and data to lead with impact.
He also advocated for dedicated public resources for women, emphasizing that gender-responsive budgeting must go beyond an annual budget exercise. He called for clear expenditure targets for women-led MSMEs, which must be protected, disbursed, and monitored. The Gates Foundation recently pledged $2.5 billion through 2030 for research and development in women’s health, urging governments, the private sector, and civil society to co-invest.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum (NGSF), Prof. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, reiterated the Forum’s commitment to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. She highlighted state-level reforms, including Kwara State’s 35 per cent gender inclusion bill and the provision of six months of maternity leave in 10 states.
In another remark, the Second Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Ghana Matilda Sante-Asiedu, emphasised that true progress extends beyond economic growth, rooted in inclusion and representation for all. She urged leaders to embrace bold ideas and establish institutions that truly reflect the diversity of the African continent.