The Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by the Minister of Women Affairs, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, FSI, has signed the historic Global Campaign Agreement aimed at ending child marriage and promoting gender-inclusive urban governance, at a high-level dialogue co-hosted by Nigeria with other Member States, UN-Habitat, and other global actors held on the sidelines of the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), New York.
HM Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, during the high-level dialogue themed “Bridging the Gap: From Beijing to 2030 – Ending Child Marriage in All Forms,” emphasised the urgency of elevating women and girls’ leadership roles in urban planning and climate action. She highlighted that women and girls disproportionately bear the impact of rapid urbanisation, environmental degradation, and climate change, yet remain underrepresented in critical decision-making processes.
The Minister expressed deep concern that women and children are statistically 14 times more vulnerable to fatalities during natural disasters, underscoring the need for gender-responsive urban governance. “Women must not remain mere beneficiaries; they must lead in shaping the solutions to these challenges,” she said.
Hon. Sulaiman-Ibrahim lauded the historic signing, describing it as “a decisive moment signalling Nigeria’s readiness to integrate gender-responsive policies into local governance.” Seven Nigerian states have committed to aligning urban development policies with the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) principles to address gender disparities in safety, economic opportunity, and climate resilience.
The minister outlined Nigeria’s ongoing actions, including the National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change, and advocated 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 concluded.
Nigeria will host an ECOWAS-wide Assembly of Gender and Women Affairs Ministers later this year to further deepen regional cooperation and expedite the continent’s commitment to gender equality and sustainable urban development.
