The Federal Government has launched the 10,000 Women in Mobility programme to economically empower women across Nigeria through access to tricycles, motorcycles and vehicles.
The initiative, rolled out by the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation, is designed to support women in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to participate in transportation, logistics, delivery services and other mobility-related businesses.
Speaking on Friday at the launch and handover of mobility assets in Abuja, the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said the programme was aimed at expanding economic opportunities for women and strengthening their financial independence.
She disclosed that the Abuja pilot phase had already benefited 1,000 women, adding that the scheme would be scaled nationwide to reach 10,000 beneficiaries.
According to her, the programme will also help women build credible financial histories that can unlock future access to credit.
“It’s an economic empowerment. It’s how much they drive it and how many hours they put into it. There’s no economic effort that is a chicken feed,” she said.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that President Bola Tinubu’s vision of a $1tn economy required the inclusion of women, who make up over 50 per cent of Nigeria’s population.
“We want to strengthen women’s participation so that it translates into value, not just for them and their families, but for the country at large,” she added.
The minister also commended the Managing Director of CREDICORP, Uzoma Nwagba, for promoting inclusive access to consumer credit and translating government policy into tangible economic opportunities for women.
In a statement on Saturday, Nwagba described the programme as a practical step towards expanding financial inclusion and deepening Nigeria’s consumer credit ecosystem.
He explained that CREDICORP was working with key stakeholders to integrate financing, asset supply, training and business support to ensure beneficiaries succeed in their mobility businesses.
“The agency will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to ensure the success, transparency and sustainability of the programme nationwide,” he said.
In their goodwill messages, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; the Director General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Oluwemimo Osanipin; and the National President of the National Council for Women Society, Princess Edna Azura, described the initiative as a timely intervention to boost women’s participation in the transport sector.
Onyejeocha said the programme aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda by breaking gender barriers in the mobility industry.
The programme has so far handed over 300 locally assembled tricycles and is expected to empower up to 10,000 women across the six geopolitical zones, boosting incomes and strengthening Nigeria’s mobility sector.
