The special adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, has said Nigeria’s development aspirations cannot be achieved unless the executive, legislature and public institutions deliberately create opportunities for the empowerment, inclusion and leadership advancement of women across the country.

In her keynote address at the 2026 Young Women’s Leadership Conference (YWLC) in Abuja, Bala Usman described the leadership of young women as “not a social courtesy, but a development necessity,” stressing that national growth depends on how effectively women are equipped to innovate, influence policy and create measurable impact.

She said the government has a responsibility to ensure that inclusion becomes “part of delivery and not an afterthought” through gender-responsive planning and budgeting, safer schools and communities, stronger implementation of protection policies, expanded access to skills acquisition and enterprise support, as well as deliberate pathways for women to contribute to governance and national development

“The legislature and public institutions also have crucial roles in strengthening laws, policies and accountability mechanisms that expand opportunities for women. Legal frameworks are only as powerful as their implementation,” she said.

Bala Usman also condemned discriminatory practices against women in public institutions, citing instances where female public servants were required to obtain spousal consent before being allocated official housing and policies denying maternity leave to unmarried women.

“A nation that relies on its women being able to endure more than it enables them to lead is wasting capacity,” she added.

The third edition of the conference, themed “Innovate, Influence, Impact: Accelerating Young Women’s Roles in National Development,” was organised by the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC) under the leadership of its director-general, Rinsola Abiola, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Eagles Foundation for Humanity, the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank), the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Sapphital, the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) Nigeria Chapter and the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).

In her welcome remarks, Abiola said the initiative reflects the federal government’s commitment to youth and women empowerment under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

She noted that since the initiative was launched in 2024, more than 1,500 young women have benefited from leadership, entrepreneurship and mentorship opportunities provided through the programme.

According to her, 20 participants selected after the 2025 edition received intensive business and leadership training, alongside grants of N500,000 each to scale their businesses, resulting in business expansion and job creation.

Abiola said the 2026 conference was designed to deepen conversations around leadership, governance, entrepreneurship and technology, while encouraging young women to participate more actively in nation-building.

Also, at the event, the chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, urged women to prioritise competence, hard work and professionalism over appearances.

She encouraged young women to participate actively in politics and public service, while calling for stronger mentorship platforms to support women seeking leadership positions.

The event featured panel sessions with prominent women in governance, business and technology and concluded with the signing of a partnership agreement between the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC) and the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) Nigeria Chapter.

The agreement, signed by Abiola and Zainab Abdurrasheed, is aimed at implementing inter-generational mentorship programmes for successive cohorts of young women to strengthen civic awareness and leadership development ahead of the next edition of the conference.