The Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, has assured the women folks and vulnerable Nigerians that the budget will prioritize them.
Speaking in Abuja at a joint symposium for special needs groups in Nigeria themed “Rights, Justice, Action for Women & Girls With Special Needs in Nigeria: Exploring Strategies & Approaches for Acceleration and Impacts,” the minister stressed that inclusive policies are not just social obligations but economic priorities.
Uzoka-Anite said Nigeria must move beyond general budgeting to ensure that public spending directly impacts vulnerable groups, including women living with HIV, persons with disabilities, elderly women, and internally displaced persons.
She noted that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the government has transitioned from expenditure to investment budgeting, focusing on measurable outcomes such as jobs, infrastructure, and economic productivity.
She said: “Today, I am here to say that Nigeria’s answer must be: everyone. Without exception.
“Vulnerability is not the property of a person. It is the result of a system that fails to protect, fails to include, fails to invest. A woman living with HIV is made vulnerable when health services stigmatise her. A woman with a disability is made vulnerable when schools have no ramps. An elderly woman is made vulnerable when social protection ignores her. An internally displaced woman is made vulnerable when camps are unsafe.
“Under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, we have transformed how Nigeria plans its finances. We have moved from expenditure budgeting to investment budgeting. Every naira we spend is now judged by its return: jobs created, private capital mobilised, infrastructure delivered.
She also assured them that “The Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning will ensure that your voices are reflected in our priorities and that you have a seat at the table where budgets are set.”
The minister also disclosed that the federal government will this year launch the National Development Plan 2026-2030, which is the administration’s blueprint for a $1 trillion economy, noting “It is built on the principle that no one is left behind.”
“But I believe we must add a new measure to our budgeting. We must ask: did this budget reach a woman living with HIV? Did it give a girl with a disability a place in school? Did it provide an elderly woman with the social protection she earned through a lifetime of labour? Did it protect an internally displaced woman from violence?
“This is not sentiment. This is arithmetic.
“Inclusive investments generate the highest returns. They are not a drain on the budget; they are the most efficient use of public resources.
“The Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning is committed to embedding gender-responsive and disability-inclusive planning into our national development framework. We will track outcomes that matter.”
She also opposed the narrative that says “we cannot afford to invest in women and girls with special needs, especially in tough times.”
The minister said that narrative is misguided. In tough times, we must invest in what gives us the highest return. And the highest return is investing in those most left behind.
“Every naira spent on inclusive health, education, and social protection returns many times over in economic productivity, reduced poverty, stronger families, and stable communities.
“This is not sentiment. This is the arithmetic of a $1 trillion economy built on the talent of all Nigerians. I believe Nigeria can show the world that a nation’s prosperity is measured not only by its GDP, but by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens.”
Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, we have the political will, the fiscal capacity, and the institutional framework to achieve this.”
Earlier, the Representative to UN Women and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, said the event marked the closing of International Women’s Month 2026 and focused attention on women whose struggles are often overlooked in policy planning.
Eyong emphasised that many women face multiple layers of discrimination driven by poverty, inequality, and stigma, particularly those living with HIV, disabilities, or displacement.
Also speaking, Country Director of UNAIDS, Ms. Boonto Krittayawa, warned that global progress on gender equality remains slow, noting that it could take centuries to close existing gaps if urgent action is not taken.
She highlighted key disparities affecting women globally and in Nigeria, including limited political representation, economic inequality, and exposure to violence, calling for stronger legal reforms and targeted investments.
Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by her Special Assistant, Princess Joan Jumai, said Nigeria is strengthening inclusive policies to address the needs of women facing multiple forms of discrimination.
She noted that initiatives such as the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention 774 aim to reach millions of vulnerable women across local government areas, while partnerships with relevant agencies are being strengthened to improve service delivery.
In her remarks, Acting Deputy Representative of UN Women, Patience Ekeoba, said the symposium was designed to provide a platform for affected groups to share their experiences and influence policy decisions.
She added that the meeting would produce a communiqué outlining key challenges and actionable recommendations to guide stakeholders.
On her part, Representative of the UN women and Ecowas, Ms Beatrice Eyong, called for a deliberate attention to those Women whose struggles do not feature prominently enough in our policy documents.
She said: “So this symposium is very, very important for us.
“Women with disabilities remain excluded from education, employment, healthcare, and justice, and are more likely to experience and suffer from gender-based violence, and less likely to be believed when they report it.”
She noted that the women and girls with special needs do not just face one issue but diverse issues.
“At all these crossroads, hardship does not add up. It continues.”
She added: “Those experiencing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination are the ones most likely to be left furthest behind and must therefore be reached first. Our policies must be rooted for women as they actually exist, not for a generic beneficiary. Our health systems must be accessible.”
The country director of UN AIDS, Boonto Krittayawa said the women and girls in Nigeria “face discrimination and abuse based on gender, health status, disability, age, and socioeconomic conditions.
“So the majority of women and children are in the most vulnerable and most in need situations. These incidents really underscore that women and girls here are disproportionately exposed to discrimination, to violence, to inequality. And for us to be able to support every woman and child to be able to access quality health services, quality education, decent work with equal pay, to live life free from stigma and discrimination, participate fully in society and realize full potential, we really must call for and advocate for action across society.”
The Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Special Assistant (Technical), Women Affairs and Community Engagement, Princess Joan Jumai, said leader, President Tinubu’s administration places the family at the centre of inclusive development.
“For women and girls with disabilities in Nigeria, this is particularly significant. It shifts focus to where exclusion often begins, the home and community,while strengthening family-based support systems, promoting early inclusion and addressing stigma. It reinforces the need for accessible services, inclusive education and community-level intervention that enable women and girls with special needs to live with dignity, independence and full participation in society.”
She further added: “Rights must be guaranteed through inclusive legal and policy frameworks. Action must be accelerated through deliberate investment and implementation. And justice must be ensured through systems that are sensible, equitable and responsive to all women and girls.”
She added: “I therefore call on all stakeholders to move from commitment to measurable impact by strengthening coordination, investing in inclusive systems and amplifying the voices of women and girls with special needs in leadership and decision-making. “Let us commit to building a Nigeria where no woman is invisible, no right is denied and every girl child is seen, regardless of her ability, is empowered to thrive with dignity, opportunity and confidence.”
Briefing on the programme objectives, Acting deputy Rep; UN Women, Patience Ekeoba, said but let me start by raising my vulnerability. Issues of exclusion, are issues of leaving people behind, whether they are HIV,whether they are women with HIV, are similar. And that day we forged an alliance to work together, not just to deal with one area of need, but as much as possible deal with the cross-cutting issues as it affected different groups.Q
