We held a productive meeting with the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, to further deliberate on our proposal for the establishment of a Coordinated Support Ecosystem for Wives and Widows of Military Personnel in Nigeria.
This was done in partnership with Stand With A Girl Initiative (SWAG). The initiative seeks to institutionalize a structured, multi-sectoral ecosystem that strengthens psychosocial, economic, healthcare, and social protection for the wives and widows of Nigeria’s military personnel. These women hold families together in the face of sacrifice and loss as their spouses defend the nation against internal and external threats. Supporting them properly requires deliberate collaboration across government, civil society and the private sector. The Honourable Minister commended the proposal as both timely and strategic, noting that it aligns strongly with the Federal Government’s 2026 agenda, declared as the “Year of Family and Social Development”, and the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to develop a comprehensive National Protection Framework aimed at safeguarding vulnerable groups, including the elderly.
She emphasized that the initiative would not only enhance social protection mechanisms but also elevate and give deserved recognition to Nigeria’s social workforce when fully implemented and domesticated across states. In a significant step forward, the Honourable Minister formally inaugurated a committee to review the proposal in detail and work out the modalities for its effective implementation.