There is no official Federal Government grant called the “Women Development Fund” that we could find. The real federal women’s programme is the Nigeria for Women Program Scale-Up (NFWP-SU), run by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs with World Bank funding. It is active in 2026, but it does not take open online grant applications, and on 24 October 2026 its national coordinator warned that a “grant link” on social media is fake.
What it is
NFWP-SU is a bigger version of the Nigeria for Women Project, which first ran in six pilot states (Abia, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba) and reached over one million women. In February 2026 President Tinubu expanded it with a goal of reaching 25 million Nigerian women. The World Bank is financing the scale-up with US$500 million, and states add their own money.
Women take part through Women Affinity Groups (WAGs). These are community groups where women save together, lend to each other, and get training in bookkeeping, business skills and market information. Some women and groups later get livelihood support. We could not find an official per-woman grant amount, so be careful of anyone quoting a fixed figure.
About the name: the “African Women’s Development Fund” (AWDF) is a separate Ghana-based foundation that funds women’s organisations, not individual traders. It is not a Nigerian government scheme.
Who can apply
- Women aged 18 and above.
- Living in a participating local government area (LGA) of a participating state.
- Doing a small income activity, such as petty trading, small farming, food processing or a craft.
- Willing to join a Women Affinity Group. Women join as group members, not as individual online applicants.
How to apply (the official way)
- Ask your State Ministry of Women Affairs or your local government council if your community is part of NFWP-SU.
- If it is, the project’s State Project Coordinating Unit works with communities to form Women Affinity Groups. Ask how to join one near you.
- Attend meetings, save with the group and complete training. Support is linked to group activity, not to filling a form.
- For questions, use only the official NFWP email addresses listed by the project: info@nfwp.gov.ng and fpcu@nfwp.gov.ng. The official website ends in nfwp.gov.ng.
How to spot fake versions
- Grant links on social media. In October 2026 the National Project Coordinator, Dr Hadiza Maina, said a link offering “grants and empowerment” is not connected to NFWP-SU. Do not click, share it or enter your details.
- Any fee. NFWP-SU says it does not charge application fees.
- Unofficial websites. The project says it does not accept applications through unofficial websites or platforms. Real addresses end in .gov.ng.
- Fake “First Lady” or “Tinubu” empowerment pages. Africa Check found a fake Facebook page using the First Lady’s name, which moved people to WhatsApp and asked for money. Government programmes do not ask for upfront payment.
Quick answers
Is the “Women Development Fund” grant real?
We could not find any official Nigerian programme with that exact name. If someone sends you a link with that name, ask your State Ministry of Women Affairs before doing anything.
How much does NFWP give each woman?
We could not find an official fixed amount. Support depends on your group and state. Ignore messages promising a set cash amount.
Can I apply online?
No official open online grant application was found. You join through a Women Affinity Group in a participating community.
Is my state included?
The six pilot states are included and the scale-up is adding more states. Confirm with your State Ministry of Women Affairs.
Do I need to pay to join a WAG?
There is no application fee. Group savings are your own money kept in your group, not a fee to an agent.
Sources: Kogi State Government: NFWP-SU coordinator warns against fake grant link (Oct 2026); ThisDay via AllAfrica: Tinubu expands women’s programme to 25m beneficiaries (Feb 2026); World Bank: Nigeria for Women Program Scale Up project document; The Guardian: Ogun sets up 2,000 Women Affinity Groups; Africa Check: fake First Lady empowerment page.
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