FG to Hold National Women's Mega Empowerment Rally in Nigeria

• Rally to bring together 35,000 women across Nigeria, representing all 9,410 wards
• Focus on grants, skills & business support
• Push for political unity and gender inclusion

The National Women Mega Empowerment and Rally 2026 has placed empowerment at the heart of Government policy; according to Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the emphasis on empowering women through this initiative will provide a strengthened collective voice and agency for women throughout Nigeria.

As she talked about the event, which is being held at the MKO National Stadium, Abuja in advance of the Nokia World Rally, the Minister stated that this is “The Power of 10 Million, One Voice, One Movement, and One Choice.” She noted that a major highlight of the gathering will be the presentation of the Women’s Charter to Oluremi Tinubu, who is attending as Special Guest of Honor.

Participation will involve representatives drawn from Nigeria’s 9,410 wards, with coordination carried out through decentralized networks, instead of relying solely on physical mass attendance. On the economic front, the rally is also expected to serve as a gateway into broader empowerment programmers, particularly the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention 774 Programmed.

The programmer is targeted at women across all 774 local government areas of the country, with a focus on providing grants, skills development, and enterprise support to enhance economic inclusion and sustainability. According to the Federal Government, the initiative underscores its commitment to strengthening the role of women in national development through inclusive policies and grassroots engagement.

“The backbone of this movement is empowerment. When women are empowered, they have a stronger voice and can make clear, credible choices, and that is what you are about to see now. We women in Nigeria do not gamble. We put our mouth where our money is,” she said.

She stressed the need for unity and a more coordinated political direction among Nigerian women, pointing out that fragmentation has previously weakened their collective influence. “We are in dire need of a rejuvenated, refreshed women’s movement in Nigeria. This movement is simply to help us come together as one, speak with one voice, energies our movement, and choose our choices and block. That is what it is about,” she said.

On governance and political alignment, the Minister made clear that women are increasingly focused on backing leaders who demonstrate commitment to gender inclusion and equity. “In the past, we were all over the place. We do not have a direction of votes. But this year, women, we are going for the people that we know are HeForShes, people that support the women’s cause, people that understand what we want as women, people that understand inclusivity, and people that understand fairness, equity, and justice,” she added.

She also reaffirmed support for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that his administration represents a turning point for women-focused governance. “We have seen that light at the end of the tunnel. We have seen someone who champions the causes of women, in the person of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. And we will not take it for granted.”  Clarifying the broader expectations of the movement, the Minister emphasized accountability and partnership. “What we want is the right kind of governance. We want accountability. And we are going to hold our partners in progress and prosperity accountable and we are going to move with them,” she said.

On the socio-economic impact of empowering women, she highlighted the ripple effects on national development. “When women have money, we will have better nutrition outcomes. We will have better social outcomes. And that is what holds the women back. This is democracy. Democracy is about interest. Where does our interest lie? It lies where we are going to be supported as women,” she said.

The platform she described is designed to elevate the national and global voice of women, “This is an opportunity and a platform we have created to make sure that women’s voices can be heard all over the world, including Nigeria and beyond,” said [Name], who is confident that this initiative will allow women’s voices to have impact.

Based on the Nigeria Startup News reports that this rally will bring together 35,000 women from Nigeria, regardless of their political affiliation, in order to show solidarity and raise awareness about advancing women's rights, inclusion and creating a unified political voice for all women.