The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said narratives portraying women’s participation in economic activities as a foreign concept should be rejected, insisting that Islam grants women the right to independent economic engagement.

Sanusi stated this via Zoom during the official launch of the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy for Kano State, developed through collaboration with the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) and supported by partners including the Ford Foundation, Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund and the Gates Foundation.

The monarch said the prosperity of early Muslim societies was built on the active participation of women in trade, scholarship and community leadership, noting that empowering women aligns with both Islamic teachings and Kano’s historical values.

According to him, Kano cannot achieve sustainable development if women remain marginalised.

“Our history and our faith are clear. Islam grants women rights to property ownership, inheritance, enterprise and independent economic activity. We must reject any narrative that frames women’s economic empowerment as foreign to our values,” he said.

Sanusi added that if Kano is to compete in the global economy, it must harness the intelligence and productivity of women, while also ensuring girls have access to education and digital skills needed in the modern economy.

He pledged the support of the Emirate Council in promoting the policy, including advocacy for girls’ education, responsible social practices and community acceptance of women entrepreneurship.

Speaking at the event, Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, represented by the Commissioner for Rural and Community Development, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, described the policy launch as a milestone in the state’s drive for inclusive development.

He said the government had begun implementing measures to support women through budgetary allocations and a monthly disbursement of N50,000 to 5,200 women across the state’s 484 wards.

Also speaking, founder of the Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, Maryam Uwais, urged stakeholders to ensure rural women and married adolescent girls are not left behind.

The policy aims to lift two million women out of poverty and contribute about 30 per cent growth to Kano’s economy.