The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has called for stronger Nigeria–United Kingdom cooperation on gender development, reaffirming her ministry’s commitment to deepening collaboration ahead of the Nigeria–UK Security and Defence Partnership Dialogue.
The Minister made this known while receiving the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Country Development Director, Cynthia Rowe, in her office in Abuja.
The meeting provided a platform for discussions on mutual priorities, with emphasis on partnership frameworks, programme implementation, and ongoing development support under existing bilateral cooperation arrangements.
She stressed the need for continuity in collaboration and stronger implementation mechanisms across Nigeria’s states.
Commending the FCDO’s support, she said: “Through your spring programme in the last one year, we have been able to do a lot of stakeholder engagements and validations you’ve supported with the third NAP that has been launched. We will also need your partnership in the implementation. We will continue to get the states to do their part. Now, we have 15 states that have their state action plan on women, peace and security. So it’s important that we work with the other states to achieve the same.”
On security and development priorities, she noted: “And we are interested in the MOU signing. Security is one of the core priorities of government, noting that counter terrorism, counter insurgency, it’s all about social development, the non-kinetics and women are at the centre of that. We are counting on your partnership to see through the economic empowerment of women through our family programmes. I look forward to engagements that will strengthen our partnership.”
Referencing national policy direction, the Minister said:
“This year, Mr President declared it the Year of Family and Social Development, and it is just to highlight the importance of family, community ownership of peacebuilding and protection of our vulnerable people because when all these happen, women are the most affected and their needs are special.”
The FCDO Development Director, Cynthia Rowe, extended an invitation to the Minister to attend the Nigeria–UK Security and Defence Partnership Dialogue and expressed readiness to deepen collaboration with Nigeria on shared development priorities.
The meeting underscored the importance of sustained cooperation on women, peace and security, as well as broader social development goals.
