Abuja: The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has launched the EmpowerHer Digital Financial Literacy Programme, an initiative designed to equip Nigerian women with the knowledge and tools needed to manage finances effectively, grow businesses, and build sustainable livelihoods. The initiative, targeted at training 100,000 women across the country, has already recorded 254,998 registrations, reflecting strong national interest.
According to Voice of Nigeria, during the virtual launch and inaugural training, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, described the initiative as ‘a defining moment in our nation’s journey to build a generation of women who are financially literate, digitally skilled, and economically empowered.’ Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the initiative aims to strengthen women’s economic power by empowering a minimum of 10 million women by 2030.
The Minister explained that EmpowerHer rests on four key pillars: financial literacy, skills and capacity development, access to finance, and access to markets. She emphasized that a woman who understands how money works becomes a pillar of stability for her family, community, and country.
According to Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the initiative is powered through a strategic partnership with Kudimata Nigeria Ltd, ‘a leading financial inclusion platform that shares our core belief that knowledge is the first capital every woman must possess.’ The Happy Women’s Platform will serve as an aggregator for training opportunities, access to finance, and business information.
In his goodwill message, Mr. Kayode Akinade, Managing Director of Microvis Microfinance Bank, commended the initiative and pledged institutional support. He announced that Microvis would reward outstanding participants with seed grants, offering support beyond loans.
Similarly, Mrs. Esther Obiekwe, Group Head for Retail, SME, and Financial Inclusion at Novo Microfinance Bank, highlighted the importance of financial literacy and announced that Novo is developing financial solutions tailored for women to help them save, access credit, and grow their businesses.
Kathleen Erhimu, Founder of Kudimata, described the programme as ‘the foundation of a movement that gives women the knowledge and tools to manage their finances confidently, build sustainable livelihoods, and fully participate in the digital economy.’
The training session included lessons on money management, savings, loans and debt management, and investments. Participants expressed appreciation to the Minister and the Kudimata team for the initiative and pledged to apply the lessons learned.
The EmpowerHer Programme, implemented in partnership with Kudimata Nigeria Ltd and supported by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, forms part of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to place women at the centre of Nigeria’s economic transformation.