Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
The Nigerian Indigenous Women in Mining and Natural Resources Organisation (NIWIMNRO) has received an EnergyNet Leadership Award in recognition of its efforts in advancing women’s participation and leadership in Nigeria’s mining and natural resources sector.
The award, presented at the organisation’s Abuja office on Thursday, acknowledged NIWIMNRO’s contributions to promoting gender inclusion through advocacy, capacity building, policy engagement and community development initiatives aimed at empowering women across the extractive value chain.
Receiving the award, the Executive Director of NIWIMNRO, Felicia Dairo, described the recognition as a validation of the organisation’s sustained commitment to breaking barriers for women in a sector traditionally dominated by men.
She said the honour extends beyond the organisation itself to celebrate the resilience and achievements of women who continue to make significant contributions to the growth of Nigeria’s mining industry.
“This recognition is not just about our organisation; it is about the women who continue to break barriers in a sector that has traditionally been dominated by men. It is a celebration of their resilience, determination and contributions to the growth of the mining industry,” she said.
Dairo noted that NIWIMNRO was established to address gender disparities within the extractive sector and has since championed initiatives that improve women’s access to opportunities, strengthen their capacity and promote gender-responsive mining governance.
She disclosed that over the past year, the organisation had trained more than 200 women artisanal miners across six states on technical mining skills, occupational safety and business development to improve their productivity and economic prospects.
According to her, NIWIMNRO has also provided medical support and distributed personal protective equipment (PPE) to women miners to address health and safety concerns prevalent in mining communities.
Beyond capacity development, she said the organisation had installed two solar-powered boreholes in underserved mining communities across two states to improve access to clean water, with plans underway to construct two additional boreholes.
Speaking at the presentation, Editorial and Content Manager of EnergyNet, Charlotte Lamb, commended NIWIMNRO for equipping women miners with knowledge on their rights, workplace safety and financial management.
She also praised the organisation for supporting women to form cooperatives capable of securing mining licences and participating in formal commercial activities within the industry.
Lamb further highlighted NIWIMNRO’s efforts to establish aggregation hubs for strategic minerals, including lithium, gold and tin, to improve mineral grading and strengthen integration into the formal mining value chain.
Dairo said the recognition reinforces the importance of sustained investment in women-led initiatives to unlock the full potential of Africa’s natural resources.
According to her, empowering women in the mining sector would not only strengthen communities but also build a more resilient and sustainable extractive industry.
She expressed appreciation to EnergyNet for recognising the organisation’s vision and reaffirmed NIWIMNRO’s commitment to expanding opportunities for women artisanal miners, supporting mining communities and advocating policies that promote equity, safety and sustainable development across Nigeria’s mining sector.