UN's Amina Mohammed Praises Ogun, Imo on Women, Digital Innovation

 UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has concluded a multi-state visit to Nigeria, commending the Ogun and Imo state governments for their efforts in advancing women's empowerment and digital innovation.

Mohammed particularly highlighted initiatives promoting women's economic empowerment, healthcare, youth innovation, and technology-driven development aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mr Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, disclosed this on Tuesday at UN Headquarters in New York, noting that Mohammed commended both governments for "advancing inclusive development, women's empowerment, healthcare, youth innovation and digital transformation aligned with the SDGs."

The visit gave the UN deputy chief an opportunity to assess ongoing development initiatives and engage directly with beneficiaries, political leaders, and young Nigerian innovators. Accompanied by members of the UN Country Team, Mohammed also met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, alongside separate engagements with Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and his Imo counterpart, Hope Uzodimma.

Ogun Visit Centres on Women's Economic Empowerment

In Ogun, Mohammed interacted with beneficiaries of the World Bank-supported Nigeria for Women Programme, which seeks to strengthen economic opportunities for women — particularly those facing barriers to finance, markets, and sustainable livelihoods. State authorities disclosed that approximately 100,000 women have benefited from the programme, describing it as an important tool for combating poverty and strengthening families. The engagement reinforced Mohammed's longstanding advocacy that women's economic participation must remain central to inclusive and sustainable development.

Imo Visit Highlights Youth Innovation, Digital Transformation

In Imo, Mohammed shifted focus to technology, entrepreneurship, and the opportunities being created by Nigeria's growing population of young innovators. "She met young innovators developing technology solutions such as AI applications, drones, e-commerce platforms and e-governance tools," Haq said.

This engagement complemented Mohammed's earlier visit to the UNDP-supported Imo Digital City, where she examined initiatives promoting digital skills, innovation, and employment. During the Imo leg of her trip last week, Mohammed also joined Nigeria's First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, to launch a nationwide economic empowerment programme aimed at supporting vulnerable women — an initiative expected to help beneficiaries build sustainable livelihoods and strengthen resilience against economic and social vulnerabilities.

Lagos Stop Focuses on African Leadership and Ownership

Following her engagements in Ogun and Imo, Mohammed travelled to Lagos on Sunday for an Africa-Diaspora Leadership Programme, which brought together emerging African and diaspora leaders for discussions on building stronger institutions, businesses, and productive capacity across the continent.

At the programme, Mohammed challenged Africa to move beyond simply demanding representation in global affairs, urging the continent instead to build the economic and institutional power needed to shape decisions directly. "We can no longer be the people that are profited from. You have to own what it is that is your power," she told participants.

The gathering also explored how African businesses, finance, innovation, technology, and diaspora networks could contribute to building globally competitive institutions and enterprises.

Mohammed, a Nigerian and former Minister of Environment, currently serves as Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group. She played a leading role in developing the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs before becoming UN Deputy Secretary-General in 2017.