The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has praised the planned partnership between the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), aimed at providing housing financing solutions that will empower women and enable them to become homeowners.
The minister made the announcement on Tuesday during a visit from the MD of the Bank, Mr. Shehu Usman Osidi, and his management team to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

The minister highlighted housing poverty as one of the systemic barriers that women continue to face in Nigeria, despite their significant presence in the population. She welcomed the collaboration with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria as a means to find a lasting solution that will bridge the gender gap in home ownership.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim asserted that the traditional view that only men provide shelter is outdated, adding that lack of home ownership remains a significant obstacle for women in accessing financial capital. “Housing is a key pillar of women’s financial independence,” she stated.

Reflecting on a recent visit to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, the minister expressed her dismay at the discomfort experienced by women and girls, noting that this situation is also prevalent among families not residing in IDP camps.

“There is an urgent need to create housing solutions for women, and we must pursue a structured agenda to address this issue,” she emphasised.

Earlier, the MD/CEO of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Shehu Usman Osidi, commended the Honourable Minister for her remarkable contributions to national development, stressing that under her leadership, the Ministry will continue to champion policies and initiatives that positively impact the lives of millions of Nigerian women.

He remarked, “Your appointment is a testament to your commitment to national service and to the upliftment of women in our society.”

The MD underscored that women face numerous barriers to home ownership and that FMBN is dedicated to overcoming these challenges by providing housing finance solutions that empower women and enhance their economic stability.

He explained that through the National Housing Fund (NHF) scheme, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) offers single-digit low-interest mortgage loans that cater to the diverse needs of Nigerians, including women and vulnerable groups.

While seeking the Ministry’s support in identifying key intervention areas for collaboration to ensure that no woman is left behind in the pursuit of housing inclusivity, the MD expressed FMBN’s readiness to deliver housing solutions to women.

He encouraged the Ministry’s management to collaborate on creating a unique model termed “Women in Housing.”

“Women in Housing is where we work together to build housing estates where the professionals and artisans are all women, promoting financial inclusion,” he stated.

The MD highlighted the crucial role women play in Nigeria’s development and their significant contribution to the national workforce.

He further discussed the various products offered by FMBN under the National Housing Fund (NHF) scheme, which provides affordable, low-interest loans for various groups, including women and vulnerable populations.

These products include:
– Regular NHF Mortgage Loans: Single-digit loans for homeownership.
– Individual Construction Loans: Capital to build personal homes.
– Home Renovation Loans: Support for renovating existing homes.
– Cooperative Housing Development Loans: Assistance for cooperative members to own homes.
– Rent-to-Own Schemes: Designed for steady-income workers to transition from renting to ownership.
– Non-Interest Mortgage Products: Ethical housing solutions tailored to client needs.

He requested the Ministry’s support in identifying intervention areas where FMBN can make a significant impact and invited policy recommendations that would further enhance affordable home ownership for women.

The Honourable Minister thanked the FMBN team for their support and acknowledged the challenges faced by underserved women, particularly those heading households. She emphasised that housing is a key dimension of poverty and a significant barrier to women’s economic independence, as it limits their access to finance and capital.

She shared her vision of ensuring that more women own property in their names and stressed the importance of developing housing solutions that address the unique needs of families.

The Honourable Minister expressed her enthusiasm about the partnership and the potential to realise a shared housing vision in collaboration with FMBN.

As a gesture of goodwill, she presented souvenirs to the FMBN delegation on behalf of the Ministry of Women Affairs.

The Katsina State government, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have joined forces to provide sustainable solutions for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities in Katsina.

Yesterday, at the Katsina State Government House, Governor Dikko Umar Radda welcomed Dr Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction; Mr Farouk Gumel, vice chairman of TGI Group; and Mr Arjun Jain, UNHCR Representative in Nigeria, for the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

This partnership marks the launch of the Livelihoods for Improved Futures for Everyone (LIFE) project, which aims to provide economic empowerment and resettlement opportunities for 600 displaced families and their host communities.

Through this initiative, the governor has allocated 600 hectares of land to relocate displaced communities and offer them a chance to live in dignity and earn a livelihood once again. Host communities will also be included in this project.

“Katsina is committed to ensuring that all displaced communities can return home safely or find a suitable alternative where they live safely. This initiative is the first of its kind, underscoring our commitment to our people,” noted Radda.

The minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yilwatda, said government will support social inclusion and community assistance.

He said, “This project will stabilise 600 families and allow for dry-season irrigation. This will ensure that more families are employed and that we are one step closer to tackling food security and ensuring economic independence to some of the most vulnerable families, especially during the lean season.”
TGI will be offering technical support to the farmers, along with agri-inputs and zero-interest loans, while committing to off-take their produce.

“For TGI, we believe that rural inclusion is core to the overall economic development of our nation. We have a long history of working with small-holder farmers across the nation, ensuring they have the resources and support needed to thrive.

This initiative is important because it not only strengthens food security but also promotes a dignified approach to re-integrating displaced members of society while expanding the capacity of the agricultural value chain,” stated Farouk Gumel, vice chairman of TGI Group.

UNHCR will be supporting the communities and installing a solar-powered irrigation system that will allow for dry-season irrigation, which will eventually be run by the communities themselves.

“The number of internally displaced persons across Nigeria is increasing every year. We need to urgently find solutions for them. Towards that, we are delighted that the government of Nigeria and Katsina are taking the lead on this and that the private sector is engaging more actively.”

There are around 3.5 million internally displaced persons across Nigeria. Katsina hosts approximately 250,000 IDPs. Under the leadership of Governor Radda, a few thousand residents are also refugees across the border in Niger.

Katsina has taken significant measures to address the issue of forced displacement. All internally displaced persons live in host communities instead of camps, allowing them to integrate into communities.

President Bola Tinubu, ex-military Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon, and former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, on Thursday, advocated homegrown solutions and strong leadership to address the challenges confronting African countries.

They called on African leaders to abandon reliance on foreign blueprints, stressing that the continent needs leaders who wield policy as a tool for transformation rather than as mere rhetoric.

Speaking at the Dr. Kayode Fayemi commemorative symposium and the launch of the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement in Abuja, Tinubu lamented what he described as “the tragedy of our time,” where African leaders remain dependent on external plans while failing to break free from a client-state mentality.

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the event, with the theme: “Renewing the Pan-African Ideal for the Changing Times: The Policy and Leadership Challenges and Opportunities,” Tinubu highlighted the urgent need for Africa to embrace technological advancement and innovation.

“Whatever our differences across the continent, one fact that can’t be eroded by our infighting is that we are in the age of machines, and we can’t fight our development dilemma with spears and arrows while the rest of the world is fighting the same battle with missiles and tanks. The world is not waiting for Africa to catch up,” he said.

Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, shared excerpts of Tinubu’s remarks in a statement titled “President Tinubu: We Need Leaders Who Wield Policy as Blade, Not Slogan.”

Tinubu criticised African leaders for focusing on political rivalries rather than technological advancement, saying, “While we parse political rivalries, others parse datasets. While we litigate history, others engineer futures. The train of progress accelerates, yet too many of our leaders cling to old carriages. These are our client-state mentalities, our dependency on foreign blueprints, and our governance by hashtag activism. This is the tragedy of our time.”

He argued that Africa’s renaissance would not happen as a gift but must be actively built.

He lamented that for too long, African leaders had outsourced their thinking, relying on foreign institutions and ideologies that treat African nations “as consumers, not creators.”

He emphasised that the youth must be empowered to innovate in tech hubs across the continent.

“With the democratisation of knowledge, we must empower our youth to innovate in tech hubs across the continent, from Cairo, down through Nairobi, to Lagos, building unicorns without the permission of any gatekeepers. What they lack is not ideas but ecosystems—systems where policy, funding, and political will converge to scale their genius,” he said.

Tinubu urged African leaders to move beyond being mere custodians of power and instead become architects of platforms that promote innovation.

He called for an Africa where every government ministry integrates AI strategists, where trade policies are shaped by homegrown think tanks like the Amandla Institute rather than foreign consultants, and where “Made in Africa” is associated with technological advancements, green energy, and cultural capital.

He also urged the Amandla Institute to position Africa as a partner in global development rather than as a recipient of patronage.

“The institute must become a command centre for the continent, turning thinkers into doers, policies into progress, and Pan-African ideals into lived realities,” he said.

Addressing African youth, Tinubu encouraged them to take advantage of modern tools to overcome colonial legacies. “For those of us privileged to lead you through this interesting time, we must never forget that our legacy can only be sustained by the systems we institutionalise. Africa seeks collaboration, not patronage. This is the vision I expect Amandla to convey to the world. We are not a testing ground for experiments but equals in co-creating solutions,” he stated.

 Mbeki, in his keynote address, noted that Africa’s development aspirations had largely been unmet due to poor leadership and inadequate resource mobilisation. He urged African leaders to position the continent strategically in a multipolar global order, ensuring it actively participates in shaping the global agenda.

“Our continent must pay particular attention to the development of the right leadership capable of defending and advancing our vast interests within the context of competing global players and in a situation of continuing globalisation and institution of a multipolar order,” Mbeki said.

He expressed optimism that the Amandla Institute would contribute to Africa’s development and enhance its participation in global decision-making.

On his part, Gowon commended Fayemi for the initiative and emphasised that Africa can pave its own way by fostering solutions from within, utilising innovation and indigenous knowledge.

He stated “Africa must prioritise sustainable management of its resources to ensure wealth generated benefits local communities. Pan-Africanism should push for African-led initiatives, such as regional trade networks and shared infrastructure projects, to reduce reliance on external actors.”

Dignitaries at the event included UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, former Nigerian Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Governors Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti and Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, and former governors Emeka Ihedioha (Imo), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto), Chris Ngige (Anambra), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), and Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa). Also in attendance were former APC National Chairman John Oyegun, the Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, and the Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II, among others.

Stakeholders in the Nigerian energy sector have called for urgent interventions such as tax reliefs and other innovative funding solutions to enable successful indigenous energy companies to overcome their operational challenges.

They made the call at the 8th Solewant Energy Summit held recently in Rivers State, with the theme: “Pioneering Technology Innovation for Transition to Sustainable Energy Development in Africa.”

In a communique issued at the end of the summit, the stakeholders stressed that the creation of enabling environments through supportive policies and regulatory frameworks by government at all levels had become inevitable.

“Government at all levels should initiate policies that can give the indigenous energy firms some tax reliefs to enable them overcome operational challenges.

“Innovative funding solutions should be initiated to provide buffed and support for indigenous businesses that have demonstrated proven success models because of the challenges they face in accessing affordable loans from Money Deposit Banks (MDBs) and Industrial Development Banks in the country,” the communique stated.

They also recommended that increased funding for research and development in sustainable energy technologies be initiated and sustained.

The communique was jointly signed by Prof. S.A. Jaja, Prof. D I. Hamilton, Prof. J M O. Gabriel, Dr P. E. Igharo, and Dr B.A. Ubleble.

Powered by Solewant Energy Training Institute (SETI), an arm of Solewant Group, one of Nigeria’s successful indigenous energy solutions providers, the summit was aimed at addressing the pressing energy challenges facing the African continent.

It was also aimed at exploring innovative solutions that promote sustainable and enhanced energy access for all.

According to the communique, government should smoothen regulatory hurdles in order to attract both local investment and Direct Foreign Investment (DFI) into renewable energy projects.

However, delegates at the summit expressed their commitment to advancing sustainable energy initiatives and pledged to work collaboratively to overcome challenges.

Stakeholders in the Nigerian energy sector have called for urgent interventions such as tax reliefs and other innovative funding solutions to enable successful indigenous energy companies to overcome their operational challenges.

They made the call at the 8th Solewant Energy Summit held recently in Rivers State, with the theme: “Pioneering Technology Innovation for Transition to Sustainable Energy Development in Africa.”

In a communique issued at the end of the summit, the stakeholders stressed that the creation of enabling environments through supportive policies and regulatory frameworks by government at all levels had become inevitable.

“Government at all levels should initiate policies that can give the indigenous energy firms some tax reliefs to enable them overcome operational challenges.

“Innovative funding solutions should be initiated to provide buffed and support for indigenous businesses that have demonstrated proven success models because of the challenges they face in accessing affordable loans from Money Deposit Banks (MDBs) and Industrial Development Banks in the country,” the communique stated.

They also recommended that increased funding for research and development in sustainable energy technologies be initiated and sustained.

The communique was jointly signed by Prof. S.A. Jaja, Prof. D I. Hamilton, Prof. J M O. Gabriel, Dr P. E. Igharo, and Dr B.A. Ubleble.

Powered by Solewant Energy Training Institute (SETI), an arm of Solewant Group, one of Nigeria’s successful indigenous energy solutions providers, the summit was aimed at addressing the pressing energy challenges facing the African continent.

It was also aimed at exploring innovative solutions that promote sustainable and enhanced energy access for all.

According to the communique, government should smoothen regulatory hurdles in order to attract both local investment and Direct Foreign Investment (DFI) into renewable energy projects.

However, delegates at the summit expressed their commitment to advancing sustainable energy initiatives and pledged to work collaboratively to overcome challenges.

Stakeholders in the Nigerian energy sector have called for urgent interventions such as tax reliefs and other innovative funding solutions to enable successful indigenous energy companies to overcome their operational challenges.

They made the call at the 8th Solewant Energy Summit held recently in Rivers State, with the theme: ‘Pioneering Technology Innovation for Transition to Sustainable Energy Development in Africa.’

In a communique issued at the end of the summit, the stakeholders stressed that the creation of enabling environments through supportive policies and regulatory frameworks by government at all levels had become inevitable.

“Governments at all levels should initiate policies that can give the indigenous energy firms some tax reliefs to enable them to overcome operational challenges. Innovative funding solutions should be initiated to provide buffers and support for indigenous businesses that have demonstrated proven success models because of the challenges they face in accessing affordable loans from Money Deposit Banks (MDBs) and Industrial Development Banks in the country”,  the communique stated.

They also recommended that increased funding for research and development in sustainable energy technologies be initiated and sustained.  The communique was jointly signed by Prof. S.A. Jaja, Prof. D I. Hamilton, Prof. J M O. Gabriel, Dr P. E. Igharo and Dr B.A. Ubleble.

Powered by Solewant Energy Training Institute (SETI), an arm of Solewant Group, one of Nigeria’s successful indigenous energy solutions providers, the summit was aimed at addressing the pressing energy challenges facing the African continent.

It was also aimed  at exploring innovative solutions that promote sustainable and enhanced energy access for all.

According to the communique, the government should smoothen regulatory hurdles in order to attract both local investment and Direct Foreign Investment (DFI) into renewable energy projects. However, delegates at the summit expressed their commitment to advancing sustainable energy initiatives and pledged to work collaboratively to overcome challenges.