Shettima Puts Women at the Heart of Nigeria's $1 Trillion Ambition

For far too long, the contributions of women have been underestimated, overlooked and, in many cases, taken for granted. Yet, across Nigeria, women have continued to build businesses, create jobs, nurture communities, drive innovation and keep families and industries moving even when the opportunities available to them have been far from equal.

Perhaps it is time we looked beyond what women have had to overcome and started paying closer attention to what they have been able to achieve despite it.

It is time to give women their voice. It is time to give them their flowers. And more importantly, it is time to give them the opportunity to turn their enormous potential into even greater economic value.

This is the conversation Vice President Kashim Shettima has brought to the forefront as Nigeria pursues its ambitious goal of becoming a $1 trillion economy.

Every day, millions of Nigerian women are doing something the economy cannot ignore, they are creating, selling, building, employing and keeping businesses alive.

Yet, when Nigeria talks about becoming a $1 trillion economy, one question deserves more attention: how much bigger could that economy become if more of these women had what they needed to grow?

That question sits at the heart of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s latest call for greater economic inclusion of women.

THe big picture

Nigeria is chasing a $1 trillion economy. It is an ambitious target, one that will require the country to unlock every available source of growth. But there is a question we cannot afford to overlook: Can Nigeria truly get there if millions of women are still unable to fully participate in the opportunities that drive economic growth?

Vice President Kashim Shettima says no.

Speaking at the #SheIsIncluded 2026 conference, Shettima made a strong case for putting women at the heart of Nigeria’s economic ambitions. His message went beyond the familiar conversation about empowering women or inclusion for inclusion's sake. It is a recognition that women are not merely beneficiaries of Nigeria's economic growth, but also contributors, creators and potential drivers of it. He was making a much bigger point: Nigeria’s economic future is tied to how well it is able to harness the potential of its women.

Women are already deeply woven into the fabric of Nigeria’s economy! They run businesses, trade in markets, farm, build careers, employ people, provide services and increasingly create solutions in the digital economy.

But many are still operating with limitation; limited access to affordable capital, technology, markets, networks and the support needed to take their businesses from simply surviving to growing.

So perhaps the more important question is not whether women are contributing to Nigeria’s economy. They clearly are!

The BIG QUESTION

What could happen to Nigeria’s economy if more women had the opportunity and resources to scale what they are already building?

If Nigeria is serious about building a bigger and stronger economy, perhaps it is time to stop asking whether women should be included and start asking amore imperative question.

Shout out to every woman in the world! You deserve more than every accolade, favour and recognition you get.