UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed Calls for Global Action | UNESCO REF / POWA 12 Million Mobilisation Campaign | IWD 2025
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UNESCO REF Press Release 4 March 2025, MBNCWD, Abuja
National Flag-Off, UNESCO REF / POWA 12 Million Mobilisation Campaign, MBNCWD Abuja
Press Release for IWD 2025

UN Deputy Secretary-General Calls for Global Action on Women's Empowerment

UN International Women's Day 2025

Nigeria Flags Off the UNESCO REF / POWA 12 Million Mobilisation Campaign for Young Women in Agriculture

A Global Summons to Action

The United Nations
stood with Nigeria.

Global Keynote Amina J. Mohammed Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations & Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group
National Coordinator Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan President, UNESCO REF; National Coordinator, Young Women in Agriculture
Occasion
International Women's Day 2025
Date
4 March 2025
Venue
MBNCWD, Abuja
Target
12 Million Women & Youth by 2030
Convened By UNESCO REF POWA
UN Keynote Address
From the Office of the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General
Every woman empowered is a community strengthened, every girl educated is a nation advanced.
Amina J. Mohammed Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations & Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group, framing the campaign as a national covenant, a continental model, and a global beacon for the 2030 Agenda.
12M
Women & Youth Mobilised
Nigerians to be equipped in Hydroponics and Agro-Kenaf Enterprise Development by 2030.
774
LGAs Reached
Strategic Support Cells in every Local Government Area, ensuring no community is left behind.
06
Geopolitical Zones
Two million women per zone, building a genuinely national mobilisation across the federation.
₦400k
Guaranteed Income
Up to ₦300,000 to ₦400,000 every twelve weeks through certified value-chain participation.

A Defining Moment for Nigeria and the World

On 4 March 2025, the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development in Abuja became the epicentre of a historic convergence of global leadership, national resolve, and grassroots mobilisation. The occasion was the National Flag-Off of the UNESCO REF / POWA 12 Million Mobilisation Campaign, commemorating the United Nations International Women's Day 2025 and formally recognised as a National Empowerment Programme: a movement of people, policy and purpose.

12M
Beneficiaries by 2030
Nigerian women and youth trained and certified in Hydroponics and Agro-Kenaf Enterprise Development.
04
Programme Objectives
Diversification, security through empowerment, agribusiness investment, and ending the poverty cycle.
774
LGAs Reached
Strategic Support Cells in every Local Government Area across all six geopolitical zones.
2027+
Programme Horizon
A four-year mobilisation (2024 to 2027), extendable to 2030 in alignment with the UN agenda.
Distinguished Delegates

A Convergence of National and Global Leadership

The flag-off drew principal officers of state, the United Nations system, the police institution, academia and the empowerment movement, each lending the weight of their office to a single national covenant: the mobilisation of twelve million Nigerian women and youth.

Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim
Honourable Minister of Women Affairs
Federal Government's commitment to mainstreaming women's empowerment into national policy.
Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun
Inspector-General of Police
Anchored the campaign as a non-kinetic approach to national security and household stability.
Barr. Yejide Ogundipe
SSAP-FS, Office of the President
Delivered the Presidency's pledge to broker the financial support required for the programme.
Hon. Dr. Vilita Asabe
Director-General, MBNCWD
Positioned the Centre as the National Secretariat, custodian of integrity and delivery.

Convened by the Police Officers' Wives Association under the national advocacy of Dr. Mrs. Elizabeth Egbetokun, and coordinated nationally by Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan, President of UNESCO REF.

National Voices & Commitments

The flag-off brought principal officers of state to the same lectern: each commitment cumulative, each office reinforcing the next. What follows is the official record of the day's leadership voices.

When women are empowered, families are stronger, communities are safer, and nations more prosperous. This campaign is a practical demonstration of our government's resolve to ensure that women are not left behind but are leading the charge in building a secure and prosperous Nigeria.
Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-IbrahimHonourable Minister of Women Affairs, Federal Republic of Nigeria
Food security is national security. When our women and youth are empowered to produce food, to create wealth and to sustain their families, we are not only reducing hunger but also reducing crime, insecurity and instability. A well-fed nation is a safer nation.
Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPMInspector-General of Police, Nigeria Police Force
Through my office, the Presidency will broker the financial support required to ensure that millions of Nigerians benefit from this National Empowerment Programme. Food security under the Renewed Hope Agenda is not merely policy: it is a covenant with the Nigerian people.
Barr. Yejide OgundipeSenior Special Assistant to the President on Food Security, Office of the President
This is a performance mandate, not a ceremonial assignment. The Centre will ensure that every action taken under this programme translates into measurable impact for women, families and communities across Nigeria.
Hon. Dr. Vilita AsabeDirector-General, Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development
Today, Nigeria is not only responding to a national emergency on food security: it is also contributing to a global movement for sustainable development. The Young Women in Agriculture initiative is a model of how UNESCO's values, education, empowerment and equity, can be translated into practical programmes that change lives.
Dr. Lateef OlagujuSecretary-General, Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO
This initiative bridges research and practice. Every YWA Champion will be equipped not just to farm, but to lead in a modern agricultural economy.
Prof. Veronica ObatoluExecutive Director, Institute of Agricultural Research & Training, OAU
The mobilisation of 12 million young women into agriculture is not just about food production: it is about dignity, opportunity and security for families across Nigeria. When women are empowered with knowledge and resources, entire communities rise out of poverty.
Prof. Hafsat GandujeWomen's Empowerment Advocate
This flag-off represents more than a formal start: it symbolises the strength, resilience and determination of our women. It is a commitment to build a sustainable and inclusive agricultural sector.
Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu-OranmiyanPresident, UNESCO REF; National Coordinator, Young Women in Agriculture

Four Pillars of National Transformation

As articulated by the National Coordinator, the Strategic Intervention Programme (SIP–Alpha) is anchored in four objectives, each addressing a distinct dimension of Nigeria's development imperative.

01
Economic Diversification
Redirect the national economy away from oil dependency through large-scale agricultural enterprise and structured value-chain agribusiness.
02
Security Through Empowerment
Address the root causes of unrest through non-kinetic approaches, creating sustainable economic opportunity across all six geopolitical zones.
03
Agribusiness & Investment
Facilitate structured agribusiness investment so beneficiaries can service NELFUND loans and build self-sustaining household livelihoods.
04
Breaking the Poverty Cycle
Guarantee income of ₦300,000 to ₦400,000 every twelve weeks through certified value-chain participation, ending the intergenerational cycle of poverty.

Beneficiaries Speak

Pioneer beneficiaries of the Young Women in Agriculture programme share how the initiative is already reshaping livelihoods, purpose and opportunity: translating policy into household impact.

Testimony, Researcher

Knowledge That Must Also Feed People

The Beneficiary

Dr. Egan Okon-Effiong, researcher and YWA pioneer, on how her life's work in knowledge creation has been joined to the practical work of nourishment, livelihood and community impact.

In Her Words

As a PhD holder, my life's work has been dedicated to research and knowledge creation. But through the Young Women in Agriculture programme, I discovered that knowledge must also feed people. By learning hydroponics and kenaf enterprise, I am now able to translate theory into practice, providing both livelihood and nourishment to my community.

Testimony, Farmer & Capacity Builder

When Women in Agriculture Rise, Communities Rise With Them

The Beneficiary

Dr. Elizabeth B., farmer and community capacity builder, on years of subsistence struggle transformed by access to modern methods and a guaranteed market.

In Her Words

Farming has always been my passion, but for many years it was a struggle to survive on what I produced. The Young Women in Agriculture initiative gave me access to modern methods and a guaranteed market, transforming my passion into a sustainable livelihood. Today I have joined this programme so that I can build the capacity of other women in my community, proving that when women in agriculture rise, entire communities rise with them.

Testimony, Federal Public Service

Drivers of Growth and Innovation

The Beneficiary

Mrs. Chidi Nzota, Deputy Director at the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, on the doors opened by structured training and mentorship.

In Her Words

Before joining the Young Women in Agriculture programme, I struggled to find a clear path for myself. Through the training and mentorship I received, I gained practical skills in hydroponics and agribusiness that have opened new doors. This programme has shown me that with the right support, young women can be drivers of growth and innovation in Nigeria.

National Empowerment Outcomes

Six concrete deliverables anchoring the campaign in measurable impact rather than rhetoric. Each is structured to outlive political cycles and to be auditable by beneficiaries, partners and the public alike.

01

Twelve Million Directly Trained & Certified by 2030

Nigerian women and youth equipped in Hydroponics and Agro-Kenaf Enterprise Development, two million per geopolitical zone, with curricula developed and validated by the Institute of Agricultural Research & Training, OAU.

02

Women & Youth as the Vanguard of Food Security

Prioritising women and youth as multipliers, managers and nation-builders, placing them not at the margins but at the centre of the country's response to its food security imperative.

03

Guaranteed Livelihoods Through Value-Chain Participation

Structured income streams of ₦300,000 to ₦400,000 every twelve weeks for graduates, embedding resilience from day one and underwriting the repayment of federal education loans where applicable.

04

Grassroots Reach Across All 774 LGAs

Strategic Support Cells (SSC) in every Local Government Area, ensuring that no community across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones is left outside the campaign's reach.

05

Continental Leadership in Climate-Smart Agriculture

Positioning Nigeria as a global model for women's empowerment through modern, climate-smart agriculture aligned with the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

06

An Intergenerational Legacy

Today's trainees become tomorrow's mentors, with impact and sustainability designed to extend beyond the 2030 horizon and into the next generation of Nigerian agricultural leadership.

Origins & National Context

The Food Security Imperative

The campaign answers a measurable national crisis. Nearly 40% of Nigerians are food insecure (NBS, 2022), against a demographic projection that places the country as the world's third most populous nation by 2050.

The National Coordinator traced the macroeconomic backdrop: over-dependence on oil, the 2016 recession, small farm sizes, low productivity, post-harvest losses and rising food imports together driving insecurity at the household level.

The campaign's response is structural: diversification through agribusiness, value-chain training delivered by a research-grade technical backbone, and guaranteed income streams calibrated to break the cycle of poverty.

POWA & the Programme's Origins

The Young Women in Agriculture programme traces its origins to June 2023, when it launched under the theme Enhancing the Economic Value of Nigerian Women Through the Agricultural Value Chain. Its launch contributed to the 2023 Presidential declaration of a state of emergency on food security.

Dr. Mrs. Elizabeth Egbetokun, National President of POWA and National Advocate for YWA, positioned the Police Officers' Wives Association (established 1964) as the grassroots engine of mobilisation, with strategic partnerships spanning UNESCO REF, The Lichfield Partners and Associates, The Lichfield Foundation, IAR&T-OAU, the London School of Management, U-APP UK, Women's Space USA, the Salvation Academy, the University of the District of Columbia, Peace University USA, Hydro Cycle USA and OpenLabs USA.

Pioneer beneficiaries began training on 10 March 2025 in partnership with a United States institution, with the programme directly contributing to SDGs 1, 2, 3 and 8.

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A Covenant With the Future

Planting Seeds That Will Nourish a Nation, Uplift a Continent, Inspire the World

The flag-off of the UNESCO REF / POWA 12 Million Mobilisation Campaign on International Women's Day 2025 was more than a ceremony. It was a national covenant and a global contribution: a solemn pledge that Nigeria will not only confront its food security challenges but will also lead the world in demonstrating how women's empowerment can transform nations.

This is not just about agriculture. It is about empowerment, dignity, and resilience.

With the global charge of the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, the Presidency's brokered support through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant on Food Security, and the partnership of POWA, the Maryam Babangida National Centre, the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Nigeria Police Force, UNESCO's national commission and the Institute of Agricultural Research, the initiative is anchored in policy and people, vision and action, global frameworks and grassroots realities.

It binds together government, international institutions, academia, civil society, security agencies, traditional leadership and ordinary citizens in one shared mission: to empower women, secure food systems, and build a Nigeria that is resilient, prosperous and inclusive.

A Partnership for Empowerment
UNESCO REF POWA

A national covenant under the UNESCO REF Strategic Intervention Programme (Alpha), jointly mobilised by UNESCO REF and the Police Officers' Wives Association, with the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development as National Secretariat.

Media & Outreach: Ms. Bupwatda, [email protected]

International Women's Day 2025, 4 March 2025, MBNCWD, Abuja