How NIWIMNRO is Transforming the Sector for Women

EnergyNet spoke to Felicia Dairo from the Nigerian Indigenous Women in Mining and Natural Resource Organisation (NIWIMNRO) prior to their upcoming launch that is taking place on the 15th July in Abuja, Nigeria about NIWIMNRO and what they hope to achieve in the future.

What inspired the creation of NIWIMNRO?

It all began with a spark ignited during a short course in Australia under the prestigious Australia Awards Africa programme. In the midst of that enriching learning experience, two of our board members, both deeply committed to equity and inclusive development, found themselves in a conversation that would eventually shape a national vision. What started as an exchange of ideas between two women, bonded by their shared passion for social transformation, grew into the bold idea of establishing a movement that would place indigenous Nigerian women at the heart of the country’s mining and natural resource sectors, a space where they had long been overlooked.

How can gender inclusion through NIWIMNRO support women’s roles in Nigeria’s mining sector and contribute to developing the country’s sustainable energy future through key partnerships?

Gender inclusion through NIWIMNRO offers a transformative pathway to both empower women and advance Nigeria’s sustainable energy future. Going by our mandate, NIWIMNRO is not only addressing historic gender imbalances but also unlocking a wealth of untapped potential that can contribute to the country’s energy transition and broader development goals.

Through its advocacy, capacity building, and leadership development programmes, NIWIMNRO supports women in navigating barriers to entry and leadership within the mining sector, particularly in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), where women play significant but often unrecognised roles. This inclusion ensures that women are not just beneficiaries but active stakeholders in shaping the direction of Nigeria’s extractive industries.

In the context of the global shift toward clean and just energy transitions, the minerals required for renewable technologies, such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements, will increasingly come from African countries, including Nigeria. NIWIMNRO’s work ensures that as these opportunities expand, women are equipped, visible, and protected in emerging value chains, including those linked to transition minerals.

Key partnerships with government agencies, international organisations are central to our mission. NIWIMNRO leverages these collaborations to scale its advocacy, influence policy reforms, foster inclusive investment models, and promote gender-responsive practices across the mining and energy sectors.

How does NIWIMNRO aim to address the complex challenges women face in the Mining sector?

NIWIMNRO is strategically positioned to address the complex challenges women face in Nigeria’s mining sector through a multifaceted and inclusive approach. These challenges, ranging from gender-based discrimination and lack of access to finance and markets, to exposure to unsafe working conditions and exclusion from policy spaces, require systemic, context-driven solutions. Here’s how NIWIMNRO aims to respond:

• Advocacy for Gender-Responsive Policies: NIWIMNRO advocates for gender mainstreaming in mining policies, land use, licensing procedures, and environmental regulations, ensuring that women’s voices are considered in both decision-making and benefit-sharing.
• Capacity Building and Skill Development: Recognising the skills gap that often limits women’s participation, NIWIMNRO conducts targeted training programmes for rural artisanal women miners. These include technical training, safety and environmental standards, leadership development, and financial literacy, which empower women to professionalise their activities and move up the value chain.
• Market Access and Value Chain Access: NIWIMNRO addresses the economic marginalisation of women miners by facilitating access to markets, credit, and cooperative models. It helps women formalise their operations, aggregate their products for better pricing, and connect with buyers, processors, and investors.
• Creating Safe and Inclusive Work Environments: NIWIMNRO champions the protection of women from gender-based violence and exploitation within mining communities. The organisation works to promote safe, equitable workplaces and ensures that women’s health, safety, and dignity are protected across the value chain.
• Building Strategic Partnerships: NIWIMNRO collaborates with government institutions, development partners, and international allies to leverage technical support, funding, and global best practices. These partnerships strengthen the organisation’s ability to scale its impact and influence.
• Research, Data Collection, Technology, and Innovation: NIWIMNRO Introduce appropriate technologies and innovations that can improve the efficiency, safety, and environmental sustainability of artisanal mining activities. This includes collaboration with technology colleges for the development of low-cost tools, equipment, and processing techniques suitable for women miners.
• Government Agencies and Regulators: Government institutions such as the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Solid Minerals Development Fund, and state-level mining ministries are essential for policy reform, access to licenses, and integration of gender-inclusive practices. Collaboration with these institutions enables NIWIMNRO to push for gender-responsive frameworks, safer working conditions, and better representation of women in governance and decision-making bodies.
• Development Partners and Donor Agencies: Development Partners and Donor Agencies are play a huge role in NIWIMNRO’s continued growth. Through these partnerships, NIWIMNRO stand to benefit from leadership development, technical exchange, and a platform for international collaboration. Other key development actors, such as UN Women, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and bilateral donors, are important for scaling gender-focused interventions, funding community-level projects, and linking women to broader energy transition and climate resilience agendas.
• Private Sector and Mining Companies: Partnerships with responsible mining companies, mineral processors, and buyers help the indigenous women in mining access formal markets, improve value addition, and secure better pricing. The private sector is also key to embedding gender equity in supply chains and supporting inclusive local content strategies.
• Financial Institutions and Cooperatives: Access to finance remains a significant barrier for women in mining. Collaborations with industrial banks like Bank of Industry (BoI), cooperatives, and inclusive lending institutions allow NIWIMNRO to improve women’s access to credit, savings schemes, and investment opportunities. These partnerships also help in building women’s financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills.
• Academic and Research Institutions: Academic institutions, think tanks, and research organisations is vital to NIWIMNRO’s operations in generating gender-disaggregated data, promote evidence-based advocacy, and deepen understanding of the socio-economic contributions and challenges of women in mining.
• Civil Society and Community-Based Organisations: Partnering with grassroots organisations, women’s groups, and human rights bodies helps NIWIMNRO extend its reach into local communities, address gender-based violence, and build collective power among women miners. These alliances are vital in amplifying women’s voices and ensuring culturally sensitive interventions.
• International and Regional Networks: Engagement with African women in mining networks, Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) partners, and climate and energy transition coalitions positions NIWIMNRO within global conversations around equity, sustainability, and resource justice. These networks help exchange best practices and align Nigeria’s progress with international standards.

What is the goal of this launch event?

The goal of the NIWIMNRO launch event is to formally introduce the organisation as a national platform committed to empowering women and promoting gender inclusion across Nigeria’s mining and natural resource sectors. More specifically, the launch aims to publicly present the organisation’s mission to champion equity, inclusion, and women’s leadership in mining and natural resources. The launch also aims to highlight the organisation’s role in addressing the systemic challenges faced by indigenous and rural women in the sector, open up avenues for collaboration on issues such as policy reform, capacity building, market access, and the just energy transition. The launch also provides us the platform to highlight the stories, contributions, and lived experiences of women in artisanal mining and natural resources, motivate stakeholders to commit to supporting NIWIMNRO’s work through technical, financial, and policy-based support.

What collaborations are you seeking through this platform?

Through the NIWIMNRO platform and in the context of EnergyNet and its global convening power in the energy and infrastructure sectors, we are seeking collaborations that advance gender inclusion, empower women, and promote sustainable development in Nigeria’s mining and energy landscape. Specifically, we are looking to collaborate with organisations that are committed to integrating gender equity into mining and energy policies, investment strategies, and operations. Collaborations with policy influencers, investors, and energy stakeholders will help push for reforms that make the extractives and energy sectors more inclusive and equitable.

As Nigeria positions itself to play a role in the global energy transition, we are looking to collaborate with experts, institutions, and companies that can help equip women with the skills, tools, and knowledge to participate meaningfully in the extraction, processing, and trade of critical minerals such as lithium. We also welcome partnerships with financial institutions, development finance agencies, and ESG investors to develop gender-sensitive financing instruments tailored to women in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) and women-led enterprises across the energy value chain.

In terms of capacity building and knowledge exchange, we are seeking collaborations with training institutions, technical experts, and innovation hubs to deliver capacity-building programmes that Improve safety, sustainability, and productivity in ASM. Build leadership and advocacy capacity among women miners and NIWIMNRO staff members.

Through EnergyNet’s expansive network, we are seeking support to amplify women’s voices in global extractives and energy conversations, promote inclusive storytelling and advocacy campaigns, position NIWIMNRO as a thought leader in gender-inclusive resource governance.

The Nigerian Indigenous Women in Mining and Natural Resource Organisation (NIWIMNRO) represents a critical step toward addressing gender disparities in Nigeria’s mining sector. Through strategic focus areas such as capacity building, policy advocacy, and improved access to resources, NIWIMNRO aims to create a safer, more inclusive, and economically empowering environment for women in small-scale mining. As efforts continue to raise awareness and foster collaboration across stakeholders, the initiative underscores the importance of recognising and supporting the essential contributions of women to the country’s mining industry. EnergyNet are supporting the launch which will take place in Abuja, Nigeria on the 15th July.