Women&Co Drives New Health and Climate Action Plan in Nigeria

• Nigerian women leaders launch a women-led Action Plan amid global aid uncertainty
• Women&Co by Pathfinder International anchors health, climate, and leadership goals
• Focus on maternal health, community health systems, and climate resilience

Nigerian women leaders have unveiled a new Action Plan to strengthen health systems, build climate resilience, and advance women’s leadership amid increasingly unpredictable global development aid. The initiative is being spearheaded by Women&Co, a newly launched women-led innovation platform by Pathfinder International, a global health and development organisation with more than 65 years of experience across Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East.

The Action Plan places women at the centre of national development, focusing on improving health outcomes, advancing climate adaptation, and expanding leadership pathways across governance, entrepreneurship, and civil society. It comes amid growing volatility in international aid flows, prompting local leaders to prioritise sustainable, country-led solutions.

At its Nigeria launch, women experts, innovators, and policymakers outlined a vision to build health and climate resilience by 2040. Key goals include improving maternal health and life expectancy, strengthening community health systems through women-led models, and enabling affordable access to healthy choices. Climate priorities focus on community resilience, clean energy adoption, and the growth of women-led climate-smart enterprises.

The Plan also addresses systemic gaps in leadership and equity, calling for greater investment in women’s innovation funding, state-level financing for adaptive health and climate systems, and modernised community hubs equipped with technology and skills. Proposed policy goals include increased women’s representation in health-sector leadership, recognition of caregiving within the care economy, and support for childcare as essential infrastructure.