President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially declared 2026 as the Year of Social Development and Families in Nigeria. The announcement was made during the Presidential Launch of the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, 5th February 2026.
According to a press release by Ahmed Lawan Danbazau, Head of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, President Tinubu, represented by Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, stressed the essential role of women in national planning and sustainable development. “A nation that relegates its women is a nation bound for implosion,” the President was quoted as saying, emphasizing that women remain central to family stability, community resilience, and national productivity.
The declaration follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed during the President’s official visit to Turkey, designed to strengthen family cohesion and social welfare systems. The press release noted that the President set a national goal of reaching 25 million Nigerian women through the NFWP-SU and urged the World Bank and other development partners to strengthen technical and financial support.
The release also praised the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for integrating technology into policy implementation and reorganizing social development systems, highlighting the transformative impact of purposeful leadership. It commended state governors and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum for aligning state-level execution with federal vision, noting that “national transformation succeeds when all levels of government move with shared purpose”.
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, fsi, was quoted in the release describing the launch as a historic milestone, signaling a shift where women are no longer peripheral beneficiaries but central drivers of Nigeria’s economic growth, social cohesion, and democratic stability. She also announced the launch of Nigeria’s Third National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, placing Nigeria among a select group of countries achieving this milestone.
Representatives of development partners, including Mr. Robert Chase of the World Bank and Mr. Uche Amaonwu of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, emphasized that investing in women produces measurable national impact, including healthier families, safer communities, and reduced household insecurity.
The press release further noted the participation of several government officials, including Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security; Senator Ireti Kingibe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs; and Malam Faruk Lawal, Deputy Governor of Katsina State, who confirmed ₦4 billion in the state budget to support the initiative.
The launch of the NFWP-SU and the declaration of 2026 as the Year of Social Development and Families, according to the press release, mark a historic step in Nigeria’s social and economic empowerment agenda, placing women at the center of the nation’s growth and development.