AfDB, Nigeria and UN Women Unveil Gender Equality Roadmap to 2030

The initiative is designed to guide coordinated action across government, businesses and civil society while placing gender equality at the centre of the country’s long-term development strategy.

Nigeria has launched a new national framework to accelerate gender equality and women's empowerment, with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, and UN Women Nigeria unveiling the Nigeria Gender Profile and Roadmap to Equality 2030. The initiative is designed to guide coordinated action across government, businesses and civil society while placing gender equality at the centre of the country's long-term development strategy.

Evidence-based roadmap targets long-standing inequalities

The framework was officially launched on 24 June and forms part of the African Development Bank Group's Country Gender Profiles programme, which supports countries across Africa with data-driven strategies to address gender disparities. The Nigeria Gender Profile examines inequalities across key sectors, including the economy, education, healthcare, leadership, governance and protection from gender-based violence. Rather than stopping at identifying the challenges, the report introduces a practical roadmap that outlines clear institutional actions to be implemented by 2030.

The roadmap focuses on eight priority areas, providing policymakers and development partners with a structured plan to address structural barriers while ensuring gender equality becomes an integral part of national development planning rather than a standalone social objective.

Gender equality placed at the heart of economic development

A key message of the report is that advancing gender equality requires coordinated action across multiple sectors, including education, finance, infrastructure and governance. The framework argues that stronger investment, greater accountability and broader participation are essential for achieving meaningful progress.

The roadmap aligns directly with Nigeria's National Development Plan 2026–2030, embedding gender equality within the country's wider economic and social development agenda.

Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim said gender equality should be viewed as an investment in Nigeria's future, noting that expanding opportunities for women and girls strengthens families, builds more resilient communities and supports faster economic growth.

Dr Abdul B. Kamara, Acting Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery and Director General for Nigeria at the African Development Bank Group, said Nigeria is among the first countries where gender equality has been elevated from a cross-cutting issue to a strategic pillar within the Bank's Country Strategy. He said the Bank views gender equality as a foundation for sustainable economic development rather than an objective that competes with growth.

Broad partnerships support long-term implementation

The report was developed through nationwide consultations involving government agencies, national experts and development partners, helping strengthen both its technical quality and national ownership.

Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said gender equality underpins progress across economic development, democratic governance, climate resilience, human capital and sustainable peace, adding that broader development accelerates when women and girls are given equal opportunities.

The framework also aligns with the African Development Bank's Gender Strategy 2021–2025, which has been extended to 2026, the Bank's Nigeria Country Strategy Paper 2025–2030, and Nigeria's commitments under the Beijing Platform for Action. Its launch during the Beijing+30 anniversary year reinforces renewed efforts to move beyond policy commitments toward measurable implementation and lasting results.