The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has called for closer collaboration with the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, OGFZA, to expand women’s empowerment, clean cooking access and green energy transition in Nigeria.
She made the call in Abuja while receiving the Managing Director of OGFZA, Bamanga Usman-Jada, during a courtesy visit aimed at strengthening inter-agency cooperation and national development efforts.
The minister said women’s economic empowerment remains central to the Federal Government’s development agenda. She noted that stronger support for women can improve household welfare, reduce social pressures and contribute to wider national stability.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim said the proposed partnership would help widen opportunities for women in productive sectors of the economy, especially as the ministry pushes programmes tied to clean energy transition and affordable energy access.
She commended OGFZA for its role in attracting investment and supporting industrial growth through the free zone model. According to her, the authority’s contribution goes beyond capital inflows and includes technology transfer, infrastructure expansion, job creation and human capital development.
The minister added that women account for a significant share of labour in the agro-economy and said stronger collaboration could lift productivity, strengthen value chains and improve Nigeria’s competitiveness.
She also praised the level of female representation in the OGFZA delegation, describing it as a positive sign of commitment to gender inclusion.
In his remarks, Usman-Jada said OGFZA has attracted more than 50 billion dollars in investment since inception, helping position Nigeria as a competitive destination for global oil and gas investment.
He added that companies operating in the zones are expected to undertake corporate social responsibility projects that support women and young people in host communities.
The visit underscored growing efforts by federal institutions to link industrial investment, energy access and social development goals, with a stronger focus on women’s participation in the economy.
