Across North-West Nigeria, women are playing an increasingly important role in economic recovery, transformation and resilience. Dominating micro-enterprise, small trade, and household-based economic activities that underpin household welfare usually support informal supply chains and enhance household coping strategies. Nonetheless, women-led business are often disproportionately affected by underlining factors such as conflict, climate extremes and economic volatility. Additionally, the lack of innovative financing contextualized in the environment that these women operate in undermine their recovery and resilience. When women have access to finance, recovery from shocks tends to be faster and more broadly shared. This makes women’s economic resilience not only a gender issue but also systemic determinant of community-level stability.

As part of efforts to enhance financial inclusion for women in fragile settings and support economic recovery and resilience in Nigeria, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the Finance for Peace Initiative, is supporting the design of a localised innovative financing instrument for women-led businesses in North-West Nigeria. The instrument complements existing UNDP’s efforts towards supporting and facilitating the implementation and operationalization of the Northwest Peace, Security and Development Framework, which provides a roadmap for addressing the root causes of conflict, strengthening governance systems, and promoting inclusive development.

The instrument, N-Sure, is an integrated Sharia-compliant financing architecture grounded in the economic realities of North-West Nigeria. It deploys uncollateralized, Shariah-compliant capital for women-owned enterprises. As a digital-based solution catering to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with limited internet connectivity and limited smartphone access, the solution is anchored on an innovative technology approach to de-risk MSMEs. The instrument goes beyond traditional grant-based approaches and seeks to expand financial inclusion  by formalizing women-led businesses credit histories and financial records, thereby improving their access to affordable financing, more favorable lending terms, and flexible repayment structures.

During the validation of the instrument in Kano, the commercial capital of the region, the Executive Governor of Kano State, His Excellency, Engr. Aba Kabir Yusuf, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, Hajiya Aishatu Abdulkadir remarked that “The instrument N-Sure is a timely intervention across the Northwest. As a state[Kano], we prioritise livelihood and economic empowerment for women, youths, and vulnerable households. The Kano State government pledges political will, counterpart support, and enabling environment to ensure the N-Sure is implemented effectively, transparently, and delivered measurably”.

The Director General of the North-West Governors’ Forum, Hajiya Maryam Yahaya, noted the significance of N-Sure. According to her: Women who often carry significant responsibilities for their families and communities can feel these (financial) pressures particularly strongly. This means that the financing we provide must recognize the realities in which our women operate. We cannot simply take a conventional model and expect it to work for us[women]. It doesn't work that way

The design and validation of the N-Sure instrument is a pivotal step towards supporting a resilient North-West region, anchored on women empowerment and economic transformation. It is a testament of UNDP’s commitment to inclusive growth under the Northwest Peace, Security and Development Framework. The instrument will build on the Framework by transitioning from peacebuilding to community resilience anchored on restoring livelihood and economic transformation and inclusive growth.