The United Nations has urged government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) across Nigeria to allocate 15 percent of their budgets as a strategic measure to close the gender equality gap in the country.
This recommendation was made by the Country Representative of UN Women in Nigeria, Mrs. Beatrice Eyong, during a high-level meeting in Abuja titled “Closing the Gender Gap: Financing Solutions for SDG 5.”
Mrs. Eyong stated, “The Secretary-General’s Executive Committee recommended creating a High-Level Task Force on Financing for Gender Equality to review and enhance UN budgets for gender initiatives. By 2022, four UN entities—ESCWA, UNAIDS, UNICEF, and UNOCT—set a minimum financial target of 15% for gender equality, while others established customized targets. We recommend that this minimum standard should be implemented across MDAs and all international agencies.”
She further highlighted that over 60 countries worldwide have adopted gender-responsive budgeting, which ensures an equitable distribution of national wealth to address gender disparities.
In her remarks, Elsie Attafuah, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), emphasized the economic benefits of closing the gender gap. “Bridging the gender gap is estimated to add $28 trillion to global Gross Domestic Product and could contribute an additional $200 billion to Nigeria’s GDP by 2025,” she noted.
Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, also spoke at the event, addressing the financial challenges related to gender equality. She explained that Nigeria has developed its Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) in 2022 to address these issues.
“The INFF serves as a planning and delivery tool to finance sustainable development at the national level. It helps policymakers lay out a strategy to increase investments for sustainable development, manage financial and non-financial risks, and ultimately achieve sustainable development priorities,” she stated.
