The Federal Government has launched a new digital platform, the Happy Woman App, as part of efforts to deepen women’s economic inclusion across Nigeria.
According to a statement from the Presidency, the app is a secure digital interface designed to connect Nigerian women to finance, skills development, markets, essential services, and government support.
The launch coincided with President Bola Tinubu’s announcement of a nationwide expansion of the Nigeria for Women Programme (NFWP), with a target of reaching 25 million beneficiaries. The scale-up builds on a pilot phase implemented in six states, which reached more than one million women.
Speaking at the presidential launch of the programme’s expansion at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, President Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said Nigeria’s development aspirations could not be achieved without placing women at the centre of national planning.
“A nation that relegates its women is a nation bound for implosion. We have long understood this truth. That is why this administration has not only placed women at the forefront of decision-making but has also entrusted them with leadership in causes that redeem our national promise,” the President said.
He noted that women play a central role in Nigeria’s development, adding that they are critical to family stability, community resilience, and national productivity.
President Tinubu described the plan to reach 25 million women as bold but achievable, and called on the World Bank to strengthen its financing, technical support, and innovation partnerships to support the national scale-up of the programme. He also underscored the importance of technology in driving inclusion, saying digital inclusion has become foundational to effective service delivery and national competitiveness.
As part of the administration’s broader social agenda, the President declared 2026 the Year of Social Development and Families in Nigeria, directing coordinated action across federal, state, and local governments. The declaration followed a Memorandum of Understanding signed during his official visit to Turkey in January, aimed at strengthening family cohesion and improving social welfare systems.
The Nigeria for Women Programme was approved on June 27, 2018, through a $100 million International Development Association credit. The project is designed to improve women’s livelihoods by equipping them with skills and resources to engage in sustainable economic activities and business ventures across participating states.
In 2024, the Federal Government sought an extension of the project deadline from March 29 to June 30 to allow for the completion of livelihood activities and the disbursement of unutilised funds under the livelihoods component.
