Nigeria seeks economic diplomacy agenda to empower women, youth across Africa

Nigeria is spearheading a new economic diplomacy agenda that prioritises women and youth as central drivers of Africa’s inclusive development, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has said.

Speaking at the Policy Innovation Centre’s High-Level Plenary of the 2025 Gender Summit in Abuja, he stressed that “growth without inclusivity is fragile, and prosperity without equity is unsustainable.”

In his keynote address, Tuggar commended the organisers of the summit for advancing dialogue at a “pivotal point in our continent’s development,” noting that the plenary sought to demonstrate how economic diplomacy could remove barriers for women, youth and marginalised groups while promoting stronger collaboration among governments, business, and civil society.

“Africa stands at the cusp of transformation. With a combined nominal GDP of $2.8 trillion and a population projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, our continent possesses the resources, human capital, and creativity to drive global growth. Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest economies, occupies a strategic position in shaping this trajectory,” he said.

The minister, however, highlighted persistent barriers to realising Africa’s potential, including low intra-African trade, which stands at only 18% compared to 59% in Asia and 69% in Europe.

He cited UNESCO data showing that 7.6 million Nigerian girls remain out of school, while African women hold just 27.3% of parliamentary seats, adding that in Nigeria, female representation in the National Assembly is as low as 4.2%.

Referencing a Council on Foreign Relations report, Tuggar said Nigeria’s GDP could rise by $229 billion by 2025 if women participated in the economy at the same level as men.

“These statistics not only highlight the gender disparities in critical sectors but more importantly indicate that to fully harness the benefits of our growing population, there is an urgent need to intentionally address gender disparities,” he added.

He explained that Nigeria had recalibrated its foreign policy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 4-D Diplomacy agenda, built on Development, Demography, Diaspora, and Democracy, with inclusion of women and youth at its core.

“This framework reimagines Nigeria’s global engagement, ensuring each pillar prioritises the inclusion of women and youth,” Tuggar stated.

Citing recent milestones, he pointed to the Regional Partnership for Democracy (RPD) and the West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) as evidence of Nigeria’s commitment to promoting inclusive governance and regional integration.

According to him, “the summit resolved to create an enabling environment for women’s economic empowerment, dismantling barriers to finance, markets, and cross-border opportunities, while mainstreaming gender-responsive policies.”

The minister acknowledged the strides of Nigerian banks in cross-border finance and digital integration, praising the growing presence of female executives in the financial sector.

He also highlighted government frameworks such as the National Gender Policy, the Women’s Economic Empowerment Action Plan, and the INEC Gender Policy, which embed inclusion across governance and economic development.

On youth inclusion, he pointed to initiatives like the Technical Aid Corps, the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund, the Student Loan Act, and the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, which he said were preparing young Nigerians to compete globally in advanced digital fields.

Tuggar urged African leaders and stakeholders to act decisively to dismantle systemic barriers to women’s political participation, adopt the proposed Gender and Inclusion Framework for Economic Diplomacy (GIF-ED), and implement the Purple Book of Action Plans 2025.

“Equity is not optional. Inclusion is not charity. They are the foundations of a prosperous, stable, and sustainable Africa,” he declared.