The federal government, in collaboration with UN Women and development partners, has intensified efforts to institutionalise gender-responsive planning and budgeting across ministries, departments and agencies to promote inclusive national development.

The renewed commitment was reiterated on Monday in Abuja at a capacity-building programme on Gender-Responsive Planning and Budgeting organised by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning for senior officials.

Esuabana Nko-Asanye, the permanent secretary at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, said the training would strengthen government officials’ capacity to implement equitable planning, budgeting and development nationwide more effectively.

Ms Nko-Asanye explained that gender-responsive planning and budgeting involved mainstreaming gender considerations into decision-making throughout the annual budget cycle and key economic processes.

According to her, the approach promotes awareness of gender inequalities, analyses their causes, and supports programmes addressing the different needs of women, children and other vulnerable groups across society and communities.

She urged gender focal persons across MDAs to apply the knowledge gained during the training to advance the government’s Roadmap to Equality by 2030 and strengthen implementation nationwide.

Deborah Odoh, the permanent secretary at the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, said gender-responsive budgeting was being integrated into national planning and budgeting, with the 2027 budget expected to reflect the reforms.

Ms Odoh said gender-responsive budgeting should not be treated as a standalone initiative but embedded across policy formulation, resource allocation, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting within government operations and programmes.

Abdul Kamara, acting vice-president of Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery and director-general of the African Development Bank Nigeria Country Department, described gender-responsive budgeting as a strategic tool for promoting inclusive growth.

Mr Kamara said governments must ensure public expenditure addresses barriers limiting women’s and girls’ access to opportunities and decision-making. He reaffirmed AfDB’s commitment to supporting the institutionalisation of Nigeria’s gender-responsive planning and budgeting framework through technical assistance, capacity development and sustained institutional support across relevant government agencies nationwide.

Beatrice Eyong, UN Women country representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said the organisation had moved beyond advocacy to a structured process of institutionalising gender-responsive planning and budgeting within Nigeria’s public service.

Ms Eyong said UN Women had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Civil Service of Nigeria to support the initiative and promote inclusive workplaces across public institutions nationwide.

She said permanent secretaries, directors and senior government officials had undergone training, while a five-year implementation plan would monitor how MDAs integrate gender-responsive planning and budgeting into their operations.

She added that success would ultimately be measured by tangible improvements in the lives of women and girls through more equitable allocation and utilisation of public resources across Nigeria’s communities.