By Palma Ileye
Federal Government has inaugurated a 17-member Planning Committee for the 26th National Council on Women Affairs and Social Development, charging members to ensure the meeting delivers practical, measurable and transformative outcomes that strengthen families, advance the care economy and improve the lives of women, children and vulnerable groups across the country.
The inauguration was announced in a statement signed by the Head of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Ahmed Lawan Danbazau, who said the committee was inaugurated by the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, at the Ministry’s conference room in Abuja.
Speaking during the inauguration, Sulaiman-Ibrahim described the committee’s inauguration as “the official starting gun” for the 26th National Council, stressing that members’ responsibility goes beyond organising an event to ensuring policies translate into tangible benefits for Nigerians.
She said the council must move beyond policy discussions to the effective delivery of solutions that directly improve the lives of women, children, families and vulnerable groups.
According to the Minister, the theme of the council, “Strengthening Families and Advancing the Care Economy for Inclusive Development: Operationalising Nigeria’s Renewed Social Protection Architecture,” aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of 2026 as the Year of Social Development and Families, placing households at the centre of national development, security, gender equality and economic prosperity.
She disclosed that the Ministry had developed more than 40 policies and guidelines aimed at formalising Nigeria’s care economy, strengthening social protection systems and safeguarding vulnerable populations under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Minister urged the planning committee to ensure broad stakeholder participation, saying the council must reflect Nigeria’s diversity while producing lasting policy outcomes.
She also tasked members with ensuring that resolutions from the council were measurable, adequately funded and backed by a robust monitoring framework to track implementation before the next council meeting.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim further called on committee members to work across institutional boundaries, stressing that the success of the council would ultimately be measured by the positive impact of its resolutions on the lives of ordinary Nigerians rather than the quality of its ceremonies.
She congratulated members on their appointment and urged them to carry out the assignment with dedication, urgency and a shared commitment to national development.
The 17-member planning committee is chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Esuabana Nko Asanye, while the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Amina Jalo, will serve as Secretary.
