FG Advocates for Women’s Inclusion in Capital Market to Drive Economic Growth

The Federal Government has encouraged Nigerian women to seize investment opportunities in the capital market, emphasizing its role in wealth creation and economic empowerment.

At the launch of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Podcast in Abuja, Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, underscored the importance of financial literacy and inclusion. The initiative aims to educate Nigerians about the capital market and foster greater participation.

A statement issued by the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Manga, highlighted the Minister’s call for policies that enhance women’s engagement in the financial sector.

“Opening opportunities for women in the capital market would create a pathway to wealth creation,” Uzoka-Anite stated. She further stressed the need for more policies and reforms to support women’s participation in finance. “By leveraging the capital market, Nigerian women can unlock new opportunities for wealth creation, economic growth, and prosperity.”

The statement linked the initiative to Nigeria’s broader economic vision, noting that the country’s goal of achieving a $1 trillion economy would be strengthened by women’s active participation in the financial sector.

Recognizing women’s financial acumen, Uzoka-Anite remarked, “Women are very good with investing; we know what to do with money. We know how to manage money in the house, and it will go around the whole family. If a woman learns how to make that money multiply and how to save it in a way that it will continue to add value and meet her needs and her family’s needs, I think she will love that.”

She also acknowledged the challenges women face in balancing professional and family responsibilities, advocating for both individual and institutional support. “Assisting women in the capital market is a multi-pronged approach; the individuals need to do more to be heard. The institutional approach, where we encourage the institutions to give women a chance, to treat women based on their competencies and capacities, and encourage them, is equally critical.”

The SEC Podcast was praised as an innovative initiative aimed at bridging financial knowledge gaps and expanding access to investment education. SEC Director-General, Dr. Emomotimi Agama, emphasized the need to reach all Nigerians, including those in remote areas, stating, “We want people in the most remote parts of this country to be aware of the capital market and how they can participate to create wealth.”

As part of its financial empowerment efforts, the SEC announced a training program for selected women through the Nigerian Capital Market Institute. This initiative aligns with the International Women’s Day 2025 theme, ‘Women: The Voice of the Capital Market.’

Dr. Agama reaffirmed the importance of women’s inclusion in finance, stating, “In all we do, protection is key, and investor education is also very important. We pledge to support the work you are doing by offering to provide financial knowledge to women. We will offer financial education at the NCMI to selected women once a month.”

He further stressed that empowering women was critical to achieving Nigeria’s economic goals, adding, “The $1tn economy being proposed by President Bola Tinubu cannot be possible without women. If you want to grow this market today, one of the greatest apostles will be women. There is a multiplication for everything you give the woman. Commodity trading is mainly done by women; they are involved in buying and selling different kinds of commodities. Given the importance of women in the development of the capital market, we feel the most auspicious time to meet with you is the International Women’s Day celebration. We have tagged it ‘The voice of the women in the capital market.’ We need the women to push out this message. Our being here today is part of our commitment to bring about a new paradigm shift in the education of women on capital market issues.”