Nigerian Women's Trust Fund
The Nigerian Women's Trust Fund (NWTF) is a Nigerian non-governmental organization and a women’s political action committee. It works to increase women’s representation in politics and to promote gender equality in line with Nigeria’s National Gender Policy of 2006. Founded in 2011, NWTF was created to fill a gap in support for women in politics and to advance advocacy, research, fundraising, and the development of strong female candidates.
NWTF runs mentorship programs, gives access to funding, and publishes policy data. It partners with other groups to promote social equality and, in 2023, received about $150,000 to support its work.
The mission is to boost both descriptive representation (the number of women in office) and substantive representation (women’s policy impact). It helps women move from aspirants to legislators through leadership resources, research, advocacy, and campaign support across parties.
The organization addresses barriers like traditional gender roles, discrimination, violence against women in politics, lack of funds, and time constraints. It aims to raise Nigeria’s women’s share in governance from under 5% to 35% by the 2027 elections.
Leadership has changed over time: it was founded by Ayisha Osori, later led by Olufunke Baruwa, and is now headed by CEO Mufuliat Fijabi with Ere Amachree as Program Director. By 2022, NWTF trained 100 women through its National Institute for Leadership and Ending Violence against Women and Girls, in a six-month mentorship across eight states. It has worked with the Independent National Electoral Commission to promote electoral equality and with the Child is Gold Foundation to address human rights issues in Bauchi State.
Overall, NWTF acts as a catalyst for inclusive, data-driven governance that supports women’s participation in Nigerian politics.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 14:01 (CET).