ABUJA: The Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has downplayed recent protests by workers of her ministry, saying that as a politician she is used to controversies, scandals, and public crises.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim made the remarks on Friday, September 12, 2025, during a town hall meeting with staff of the National Centre for Women Development in Abuja.
The session came two days after ministry workers staged a protest, locking the headquarters’ gates and preventing the minister from entering over alleged neglect and poor welfare conditions.
The protesters had accused the ministry of failing to provide welfare packages and training opportunities, lamenting that even when they funded official trips with their own money, the promised reimbursements were never paid. Some workers alleged that funds meant for such purposes were diverted for personal use by senior officials.
One protester told reporters, “They will ask us to go for a programme, we will go with our money but they will not pay us. Till today, trips from January and even 2023 have not been reimbursed.
In her response, Sulaiman-Ibrahim said she was not angered by the protest. Instead, she suggested it had inadvertently increased her visibility.
Let me tell you something, I’m not angry with any of you. I am a politician; we are used to scandals and crises. My concern was that there were issues within the home, and we should iron them out. That is why I came. In fact, I’m noa more popular politician because people who didn’t know me now know me,” she said.
The minister explained that she had been briefed on the welfare challenges by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary and that efforts were being made to find creative solutions. She assured workers that their welfare remained a priority, while emphasizing that she was not desperate to hold onto office since her record of service already spoke for itself.
Appealing to the aggrieved staff, Sulaiman-Ibrahim urged them to remain respectful of constituted authority and to work collectively towards achieving President Bola Tinubu’s agenda for Nigerian women.
Trust me, when the Permanent Secretary came, she spoke to me about welfare. I was the one who suggested where we could get funds to pay. What matters is that we all work together for the good of Nigerian women,” she noted.
Despite her conciliatory tone, the protest highlights deeper concerns about accountability, staff welfare, and transparency within the ministry issues that could continue to generate tension if not adequately resolved.
