African officials advocate for women's economic ownership and wealth creation

Government officials in Nigeria and South Africa are calling for a strategic shift in women's economic empowerment, moving from simple participation to ownership and wealth creation.

In Nigeria, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim announced the ‘SheIsIncluded 2026 Summit’. The initiative aims to expand economic opportunities to 10 million Nigerian women through skills development, mobile-first learning in local languages, and verifiable credentials. The program, supported by technology partner Ubuntu Tribe, seeks to transform women from mere beneficiaries of aid into ‘co-creators of prosperity’ under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

In South Africa, Deputy Minister Mmapaseka Steve Letsike emphasized that true economic emancipation requires women to move ‘from participation to power’. Speaking at the Ascend Her Business Conference, she noted that while women have gained access to boardrooms and universities, they still face significant barriers to owning productive assets, accessing capital, and accumulating wealth. Letsike argued that economic transformation must focus on what women own, rather than just what they earn.