A coalition of women groups across Nasarawa State has thrown its weight behind the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, despite recent protests by ministry staff calling for her removal. The staff, citing neglect and poor welfare conditions, had locked out the minister on September 10, chanting for her replacement.
Speaking at a women and youth stakeholders’ forum in Lafia, Habiba Umar-Iliyasu, convener of the gathering under the Coalition of Young Women in Politics, urged dialogue over confrontation. She praised Sulaiman-Ibrahim for her impactful initiatives, including skill acquisition programs, women’s economic empowerment, and protection of children’s rights, stressing that her leadership has strengthened responses to gender-based violence and promoted inclusion nationwide.
Umar-Iliyasu also commended President Bola Tinubu, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, and Governor Abdullahi Sule for supporting the minister, describing the protests as counterproductive to democratic progress. “Dialogue, not aggression, is the lifeblood of democracy,” she said, urging women and youth to engage constructively rather than through confrontation.
The minister, who represents Nasarawa in the Federal Executive Council, has reached over 450,000 women through the Nigeria for Women Project, with plans to extend benefits to 4.5 million women nationwide. Nasarawa State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hauwa Jugbo, echoed the call for dialogue, noting the state’s continued commitment to empowering women and youth through skills development, entrepreneurship, and political inclusion.
