President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that no account of Nigeria’s history can be complete without recognising the sacrifices and resilience of women, describing them as central to nation-building since independence.
Speaking at the 9th edition of the Voice of Women Conference and Awards (VOW2025) in Abuja on Thursday, Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, pledged his administration’s commitment to creating more opportunities for women under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He noted that Nigerian women, from their roles as family protectors to innovators and entrepreneurs, have been the “backbone of progress” and must be empowered to shape the country’s future. “The story of our nation is incomplete without the strength of her women,” he said.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, in his goodwill message, echoed the president’s remarks, calling women the stabilising force of Nigeria and “the vanguard of its future.”
Delivering the keynote address, Sulaiman-Ibrahim highlighted women’s historic activism, citing landmark movements such as the Aba Women’s Protest of 1929, the Egba Women’s Revolt of the 1940s, and women-led coalitions during the 1990s transition to democracy. She said these struggles underscore the enduring power of collective action.
Convener of the conference, Toun Okewale Sonaiya, urged grassroots women to leverage their numbers and voting power to support female candidates in politics. She stressed unity across political, religious, and ethnic lines while calling on Tinubu to match his words with policies that would boost women’s representation in leadership positions.
The conference, themed “Nigerian Women and the Power of Collective Action”, coincided with activities marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary.
