Stakeholders Seek Investment In Next-Generation Women, Empowerment

Stakeholders in women’s development have canvassed increased investment in women’s empowerment and development. They stressed the need to deliberately prepare the next generation of women for leadership and the future of work.

The call was made in Abuja yesterday at a women’s summit, hosted by the founder of Herlign Initiative, Temi Adelana.

The event focused on strengthening women’s economic agency and equipping young women with the skills.

She said the initiative aimed to lay the foundation for young women to take on greater leadership responsibilities in the years ahead.

“We’re laying the foundation now so that in the coming days, the next generation of women are actually ready to run,” Adelano said.

She explained that the programme was not restricted to Abuja, noting that Herlign had implemented similar initiatives in Ibadan and Lagos, as well as in Zimbabwe and  Gambia.

Adelana stressed that preparing women for the future required deliberate nurturing, mentoring, skills development and access to opportunities.

She said young women need the right support systems to develop their potential and assume leadership roles across different sectors of the economy.

According to her, the next phase of the programme would take place in Abuja, Lagos and Cabo Verde, with Abuja scheduled for Sept 1, Lagos to follow on Oct 1, and Cabo Verde planned for late November.

“I believe this initiative is necessary for the future of work, the future of our economy, women’s economic agency at large, and everything that you can think about,” she said.

“These women are the women that will drive conversations in the future, the ones that will sit on boards, the ones who will now then be the successful women of tomorrow.”

The Herlign founder also called for stronger partnerships among development agencies, multilateral organisations and startups to support initiatives aimed at building the capacity of young women.

She identified strategic partnerships, sustainable frameworks and funding as some of the major challenges facing initiatives focused on women’s economic empowerment.

Adelana warned that failure to establish strong developmental frameworks and build a skilled workforce could undermine future economic growth.

She, however, expressed optimism over the response to the event, saying the level of participation showed growing recognition of the importance of preparing women for leadership and economic participation.

Also speaking, the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by her Senior Technical Adviser, Zarah Jamberlang, conveyed the minister’s commitment to nurturing and preparing the next generation of women for the future.

Jamberlang described the next generation of women as “audacious, pioneering and fiercely determined,” noting that their willingness to take calculated risks and turn their experiences into learning opportunities would contribute to their success.

She stressed the need for stakeholders to develop and implement foundational frameworks capable of promoting gender balance, generational consciousness and women’s economic agency.

According to her, such frameworks would ensure that women’s future participation in the economy and leadership is driven by forward-looking initiatives capable of delivering sustainable growth and scale.

She added that Herlign activities had contributed to institutional alignment, increased visibility, strategic enlightenment and opportunities for collaboration among stakeholders working to advance women’s development.

Adelana further disclosed that Herlign runs the New Narrative Club, an elite collective bringing together next-generation women from diverse backgrounds to promote networking, learning and collaboration.

She said the organisation would continue to create platforms and opportunities for women to develop the capacity needed to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s economic and leadership future