The Federal Government has commissioned the Osusu Abaala Women Palm-Oil Collective in Isialangwa North Local Government Area of Abia State, reinforcing its commitment to expanding women-led economic initiatives across the country.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, described the project as a strategic intervention designed to strengthen rural productivity, promote inclusive growth, and formalize women-led enterprises, a statement by the Ministry’s Spokesperson, Ahmed Lawan Danbazau noted.
According to the Minister, the Collective represents a shift from fragmented informal trading to coordinated, market-oriented production supported by structured governance, improved processing facilities, and stronger market linkages.
The initiative is being implemented under the Nigeria for Women Programme, which was introduced to address structural barriers limiting women’s access to finance, markets, skills, and social networks. Phase I of the programme, carried out between 2018 and 2024 across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones, recorded improvements in income levels, savings, enterprise growth, and collective action among beneficiaries.
Building on that foundation, the Federal Government has begun a national scale-up phase aimed at reaching at least five million women across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The expansion was launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as part of broader efforts to enhance livelihoods, food security, and inclusive economic development.
The Minister explained that the scale-up aligns with the Renewed Hope Social Impact Interventions – 774 (RH-SII 774), a delivery framework intended to integrate women’s economic empowerment, food security, social protection, and family resilience across all local government areas.
She urged members of the Osusu Abaala Collective to manage the facility transparently and ensure accountability in leadership and reinvestment.
“This facility is both an economic asset and a collective responsibility. It must be governed with discipline and sustained through transparency and structured group management,” she said, adding that improved processing capacity is expected to boost productivity, bargaining power, and incomes.
The Minister commended the advocacy efforts of First Lady Oluremi Tinubu in promoting women’s economic participation. She also acknowledged the support of Abia State Governor Alex Otti and Mrs. Priscilla Chidinma Otti for fostering an enabling environment for women-focused initiatives.
She further appreciated the World Bank for its technical and financial support in strengthening implementation systems and integrating global best practices into the programme.
The Minister expressed confidence that the Osusu Abaala Women Palm-Oil Collective would serve as a replicable model for organized women’s enterprise, local value addition, and inclusive agribusiness development nationwide.
