FG, Access Bank to Empower Women in Nigeria’s Creative Economy

The federal government, in partnership with Access Bank, has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering women as pivotal contributors to the nation’s creative economy. The initiative focuses on broadening access to finance, enhancing skills development, and creating leadership opportunities to help women thrive across creative industries.

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, made this known in Lagos in a keynote address delivered at the International Women’s Day Conference organised by Access Bank Plc.

The event, which attracted over 5,000 participants both physically and virtually, was attended by stakeholders across the public and private sectors.

Musawa, represented by the Director-General of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), Mrs Aisha Adamu, said women were increasingly taking the lead in building businesses, driving innovation and shaping society.

She identified culture, capital and courage as critical factors influencing women’s participation in national development, noting that culture remained both a source of identity and an economic asset.

Earlier, the Chairman of Access Bank Plc, Mrs Ifeyinwa Osime, called for deliberate and strategic investment in women as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth.

Osime said empowering women should be seen as a strategic economic decision rather than charity.

“When we speak of giving, it is about expanding access to finance, markets, knowledge and platforms that enable women to build sustainable businesses,” she said.

Also, former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, stressed the need to prioritise women’s inclusion in development processes.

Ezekwesili said societies transform when critical issues such as women’s inclusion are deliberately prioritised. “There is no other way societies have transformed than when people who care make an issue a priority,” she said.