The Federal Government and Access Bank have reaffirmed their commitment to empowering women as key drivers of Nigeria’s creative economy, with a focus on improving access to finance, skills development and leadership opportunities.
This was highlighted in Lagos recently at an International Women’s Day conference organised by the bank, which attracted over 5,000 participants both physically and virtually, including stakeholders from across the public and private sectors.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, said the Federal Government remains committed to positioning women at the centre of economic growth, particularly within the creative sector.
Represented by the Director-General of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation, Aisha Adamu, the minister noted that women are increasingly leading in business creation, innovation and societal development.
She identified culture, capital and courage as key factors shaping women’s participation in national development, stressing that culture serves not only as a source of identity but also as an economic asset.
“Across Nigeria, women have always been the invisible architects of our culture, yet their contributions have been underrepresented and undervalued,” she said.
Musawa added that the ministry is repositioning culture as a structured economic sector through initiatives such as creative hubs, skills development programmes and enterprise support targeted at women in film, fashion, digital media and tourism.
On financing, she noted that women-owned businesses account for about 40 per cent of small and medium enterprises but continue to face significant funding challenges.
“Too many ideas remain small not because they lack potential, but because they lack access to capital,” she said, adding that government efforts are underway to unlock targeted funding, expand market access and improve data systems to better support women entrepreneurs.
In her remarks, Chairman of Access Bank Plc, Ifeyinwa Osime, called for deliberate and strategic investment in women as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth.
She emphasised that empowering women should be viewed as an economic imperative rather than charity.
“When we speak of giving, it is about expanding access to finance, markets, knowledge and platforms that enable women to build sustainable businesses,” she said.
Osime noted that women own about 39 per cent of businesses in Nigeria and contribute nearly 40 per cent of new enterprises, while SMEs account for about 48 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product and over 80 per cent of employment.
She, however, decried the persistent financing gap facing women, describing it as a major constraint on productivity and economic growth.
Highlighting the bank’s interventions, she referenced programmes such as the W Initiative and Womenpreneur Pitch-a-ton, which provide financing, training and healthcare support to thousands of women.
Also speaking, former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, stressed the need to prioritise women’s inclusion in development processes.
According to her, societies achieve transformation when critical issues such as inclusion are deliberately prioritised.
“There is no other way societies have transformed than when people who care make an issue a priority,” she said.
Ezekwesili noted that removing structural barriers limiting women’s participation could unlock significant economic potential, adding that agricultural output could increase by up to 30 per cent if women had equal access to resources as men.
She commended Access Bank for its continued support through financing, training, technology and market access, describing such interventions as vital to scaling women-led businesses.
Ezekwesili also urged women to invest in knowledge, build partnerships and actively pursue financing opportunities, while emphasising the importance of shared values for national and continental growth. “Values are our internal currencies,” she added.
In the same vein, Nene Kunle-Ogunlusi, Group Head, Women Banking at Access Bank, reiterated the bank’s commitment to supporting women across all segments.
She disclosed that the bank recently organised a special Women’s Day outreach for market women in Oyingbo, Lagos, providing free health checks, beauty services and financial education.
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