Eyono Fatayi Williams, WIEN President, Minister of Women Affairs Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Bassey Adie – Director, Strategic Partnerships & Conferences, Rita Kwentoh, Director, Sponsorship, Asanimo Omezi, Executive Secretary.
…Advocates for Family Development and Women’s Economic Inclusion
The Women in Energy Network (WIEN) has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing women’s economic participation and clean energy access following a strategic engagement with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.
During the visit, WIEN commended the Minister for her leadership in repositioning Nigerian women as integral contributors to national development and economic prosperity. The Network emphasized that Nigeria cannot achieve its energy security and economic growth objectives while half of its population remains underutilized.
Clean Energy & Grassroots LPG Penetration
The Minister highlighted the Ministry’s grassroots LPG penetration initiative, aimed at transitioning more women across Nigeria to cleaner cooking fuels and sustainable energy solutions.
WIEN welcomed the initiative and pledged industry support to expand awareness, mobilize stakeholders, and strengthen access pathways for women, particularly in underserved communities. The Network noted that clean cooking solutions are both a public health priority and a critical economic empowerment tool.
2026: Year of the Family and Social Development
WIEN also commended the Minister for her instrumental role in ensuring that Bola Ahmed Tinubu designates 2026 as the Year of the Family and Social Development.
The Network acknowledged the strategic importance of strengthening families as the foundation of national productivity, social stability, and economic transformation. Empowered households, WIEN noted, translate into stronger communities and a more resilient national economy.
WIEN expressed full support and strategic alignment with the Ministry in advancing the 2026 agenda.
Social Impact Fund for Women Entrepreneurs
In response to WIEN’s advocacy on designated funding for women-owned businesses, the Honourable Minister disclosed that the Federal Government is working on a Social Impact Fund designed to improve access to finance for women and female entrepreneurs.
The Fund is structured as a revolving financing model aimed at building sustainable capacity rather than providing short-term relief. It is intended to support women in scaling their businesses, acquiring assets, and becoming stronger contributors to national development and family stability.
WIEN welcomed the initiative and reiterated its readiness to collaborate on awareness, industry alignment, and structured implementation.
35% Inclusion & Economic Participation
The Minister reaffirmed President Tinubu’s commitment to advancing women’s inclusion across governance and economic activity, including advocacy for at least 35% participation in public appointments and contracting opportunities.
WIEN emphasized that inclusion must translate into measurable economic participation, access to capital, leadership representation, and business growth.
The engagement reaffirmed a shared commitment between WIEN and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to ensure that women are not only recognized as beneficiaries of development, but as architects of economic transformation.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Nigeria’s energy and economic landscape is not a symbolic agenda — it is a strategic national imperative tied to competitiveness, capital formation, and long-term prosperity.
WIEN Director of Partnerships and Conferences, Ms. Bassie Adie, framed the issue as one of systemic reforms. She called for policy adjustments that dismantle structural barriers that limit women’s access to senior roles, asset ownership, and high-value contracts.
She said, emphasizing the need for measurable outcomes rather than broad commitments.
Her remarks strongly infer that WIEN seeks more than increased headcount in leadership roles. They indicate that the organization is pushing for deeper integration of women into asset ownership, capital access, and upstream operations where strategic control and economic returns are concentrated.
With over 1,000 women-led companies, professionals, and associates under its umbrella, and approximately 30 corporate members including major oil and gas operators, WIEN represents a significant constituency within Nigeria’s energy ecosystem.
As Nigeria attempts to restore production levels and attract investment under its ongoing reforms, WIEN argues that inclusive growth goes beyond a simple matter of equity to form a capacity expansion strategy.
Presently, the issue centers on whether regulators and government agencies will translate gender inclusion rhetoric into structured incentives, measurable participation frameworks, and enforceable implementation mechanisms within Nigeria’s evolving upstream architecture.
For WIEN, sustainable sector growth requires tapping every available pool of indigenous expertise, insisting that women-led companies are ready to compete, provided the system allows them a fair and structured entry point.
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