Nigeria joins global campaign to promote female leadership in governance, climate action

Nigeria has signed a global campaign agreement to promote women’s leadership in urban governance and climate action.

Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, minister of women affairs, signed the deal on Wednesday at a high-level dialogue co-hosted by Nigeria, UN-Habitat, and other global actors, on the sidelines of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York.

During the high-level dialogue titled ‘Bridging the Gap: From Beijing to 2030 — Ending Child Marriage in All Forms’, Sulaiman-Ibrahim spoke about the urgency of promoting women and girls’ leadership roles in urban planning and climate action.

She noted that women and girls disproportionately bear the brunt of rapid urbanisation, environmental degradation, and climate change, but remain underrepresented in critical decision-making processes.

“Women must not remain mere beneficiaries; they must lead in shaping the solutions to these challenges,” she said.

“A decisive moment signalling Nigeria’s readiness to integrate gender-responsive policies into local governance.”

The minister, who described the deal as historic, noted that the agreement signals Nigeria’s readiness to integrate gender-responsive policies into local governance.

She said only seven states have committed to aligning with the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) — to address gender disparities in safety, economic opportunity, and climate resilience.

The minister called for stronger regional and global cooperation, data-driven policy-making, and gender-balanced urban governance to create resilient cities.

“Nigeria is ready. We have made a bold statement: gender-responsive urban planning is non-negotiable. Our cities must be designed to support and empower women and girls, ensuring their voices shape our future,” the minister added.

Meanwhile, Nigeria will host an ECOWAS-wide assembly of gender and women affairs ministers later in the year to deepen regional cooperation and boost the continent’s commitment to gender equality and sustainable urban development.