Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has called for strategic collaboration with the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority to advance women economic empowerment across the country.

She said the partnership would also promote clean cooking initiatives and drive an inclusive energy transition aimed at improving livelihoods and expanding sustainable opportunities for women nationwide.

This is contained in a statement after a courtesy visit by OGFZA Managing Director Bamanga Usman-Jada to the minister on Thursday in Abuja to strengthen inter-agency cooperation and national development efforts.

Ms Sulaiman-Ibrahim commended the authority for attracting investments and promoting industrial development, noting that its special economic zone model had gained global recognition for accelerating growth and drawing over $50 billion into Nigeria.

She said advancing women’s economic empowerment remains central to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing that inclusive prosperity was vital to achieving sustainable national development and social stability.

According to the minister, empowering women can address nearly 90 per cent of societal challenges, including insecurity, by curbing social vices at the household level before they escalate into broader national crises.

She emphasised that beyond capital inflows, OGFZA’s impact included technology transfer, infrastructure expansion, job protection, and human capital development, describing those as critical pillars for sustainable economic growth and long-term national competitiveness.

The minister described the visit as timely, noting that her ministry was implementing comprehensive clean energy transition programmes aligned with the president’s agenda to expand access to affordable and sustainable energy.

She added that women accounted for about 70 per cent of labour within the agro-economy, stressing that collaboration with OGFZA would boost productivity, enhance value chains, and strengthen Nigeria’s global economic competitiveness.

Ms Sulaiman-Ibrahim also lauded the authority’s commitment to gender inclusivity, observing that the OGFZA delegation reflected strong female representation, which she described as encouraging and consistent with national gender equity objectives.

Earlier, Mr Usman-Jada said the authority had attracted more than $50 billion in investments since inception, positioning Nigeria as a competitive destination for global oil and gas industry investors.

He noted that the free zone model, successfully implemented in China, India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, remained one of the world’s most effective economic growth strategies.

According to him, positions previously occupied by expatriates within the zones are increasingly being filled by Nigerians, reflecting improved local capacity, enhanced technical expertise, and strengthened knowledge transfer mechanisms.

He further disclosed that women constituted about 70 per cent of the workforce at the recently commissioned $150 million APM Terminal facility, underscoring OGFZA’s institutional commitment to workplace inclusivity.

Mr Usman-Jada added that investors operating within the zones were mandated to implement corporate social responsibility initiatives specifically targeting women’s empowerment and youth development in host communities nationwide.
(NAN)