Business
DFID Urges More Investment In Women
The British Department
For International Development (DFID), has urged the federal government to invest more in raising the productivity of women in the country.
An official of the organisation, Dr Katja Jobes made the call in Enugu last Friday at a Gender Policy Dialogue organised by the World Bank, DFID and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.
Jobes said Nigerian women had the potential to productively engage in the economic sector as much as the men folk.
She stressed the need to empower women economically and politically to enable them contribute more effectively to national development.
Jobes commended the government for being gender sensitive and described Nigeria as Africa’s engine of growth.
The Deputy Gov. of Enugu State, Mr Sunday Onyebuchi said while declaring open the event that the outcome of the dialogue would help in improving governance in the state.
A World Bank representative, Mrs Juliana Oyegun emphasised the need to remove all barriers hindering women from participating in national development.
According to Oyegun, there are gaps in some of the laws in the country that affect women adversely, saying it is important to bridge those gaps.
Presenting a paper on economic empowerment of women, a former Governorship candidate of National Conscience Party, Chief Loretta Aniagolu urged women to learn to do things on their own.
“We have all the laws and opportunities in Nigeria. All we need is to train and re-orientate the women in economic activities, “ she said.
Justice Chibueze Nnamani of Customary Court of Appeal presented a paper on ‘Access to Justice’ and observed that most women do not utilise the courts when their rights were infringed upon.
Nnamani called for the introduction of gender rights education in schools as well as mass education programme for illiterate women.
The event was attended by representatives of Civil Society Organisations, traditional and religious leaders.
Credit to Nigeria’s private sector rose to N83.26 trillion in June 2026 from N81.04 trillion in May, signifying a positive balance of N2.22 trillion month-on-month.
Year-on-year, the figure represents a nine per cent increase compared with the N76.13 trillion recorded in June 2025. The latest figures come as the CBN continues to balance efforts to control inflation with the need to support economic growth and expand credit to businesses.
The CBN data shows that credit to Nigeria’s private sector increased by approximately 2.74 per cent month-on-month between May and June 2026. Also, the CBN data noted that credit to the government fell slightly to N40.03 trillion from N40.38 trillion. Other assets, net, dropped to N10.76 trillion from N12.63 trillion.
The credit surge signifies sustained growth in lending to businesses and other private-sector borrowers during the month. The rise in private sector credit was recorded alongside an increase in net domestic credit, despite declines in credit to government and other assets.
Further analysis of the report says that compared with June 2025, private sector credit rose by about N7.13 trillion yea-on-year but net domestic credit increased by approximately N1.87 trillion during the month.
The CBN’s relatively tight monetary policy stance notwithstanding, more banks still loaded funds to the private sector within the period. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) held its 306th meeting on July 20 and 21.
The Committee reviewed recent developments in the global and domestic economies, assessed emerging risks to the outlook and considered their implications for monetary policy and retained all rates.
The Committee decided to retain the Monetary Policy Rate at 26.5 per cent; the Standing Facilities Corridor around the MPR at +50/-450 basis points and retain the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) for Deposit Money Banks at 45.00 per cent, Merchant Banks at 16.00 per cent, and non-TSA public sector deposits at 75.00 per cent.
The MPC decision means that credit extension in the private sector will likely continue to rise because of rising confidence in the sector and calls by stakeholders for banks to invest in the private scetor instead of government securities.
