The Nigerian Indigenous Women in Mining and Natural Resources Organisation (NIWIMNRO) has been honoured with an EnergyNet Leadership Award in recognition of its efforts to advance women’s participation and leadership in Nigeria’s mining and natural resources sector.
The award was presented at NIWIMNRO’s Abuja office, where it was celebrated as a milestone not only for the organisation but for the broader movement of women reshaping the future of Nigeria’s extractive industries.
A Recognition of Sustained Commitment
The EnergyNet Leadership Award acknowledges NIWIMNRO’s contributions to promoting gender inclusion in mining through four key pillars: advocacy, capacity building, policy engagement, and community development. Together, these efforts have worked to empower women across every stage of the extractive value chain — from artisanal mining sites to formal commercial licensing.
Receiving the award on behalf of the organisation, NIWIMNRO’s Executive Director, Felicia Dairo, described the recognition as validation of years of sustained work to break down barriers for women in a sector that has traditionally been dominated by men.
“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,” Dairo said. “It is a celebration of their resilience, determination and contributions to the growth of the mining industry.”
Praise from EnergyNet
Speaking at the presentation, EnergyNet’s Editorial and Content Manager, Charlotte Lamb, commended NIWIMNRO for the depth and practicality of its programming. She highlighted the organisation’s work equipping women miners with knowledge of their rights, workplace safety practices, and financial management — skills that directly translate into safer working conditions and stronger economic outcomes for women in mining communities.
Lamb also praised NIWIMNRO’s support for women forming cooperatives capable of securing mining licences and participating fully in formal commercial mining activities, a critical step toward moving women from the margins of the informal sector into recognised, protected roles within the industry.
She further pointed to NIWIMNRO’s work establishing aggregation hubs for strategic minerals — including lithium, gold, and tin — which are helping to improve mineral grading standards and strengthen the integration of women-led operations into Nigeria’s formal mining value chain.
Impact on the Ground
Behind the award lies a year of tangible, measurable work. Over the past twelve months, NIWIMNRO has:
- Trained more than 200 women artisanal miners across six states in technical mining skills, occupational safety, and business development, improving both their productivity and their economic prospects.
- Distributed personal protective equipment (PPE) and provided medical support to women miners, directly addressing the health and safety risks that remain prevalent across mining communities.
- Installed two solar-powered boreholes in underserved mining communities across two states, improving access to clean water for women and their families. Two additional boreholes are currently in progress.
- Supported the formation of women’s cooperatives, enabling groups of women to pool resources, secure mining licences, and engage in formal commercial mining activity.
- Established mineral aggregation hubs for lithium, gold, and tin to improve grading standards and strengthen women’s integration into the formal value chain.
Each of these initiatives reflects NIWIMNRO’s founding mission: to address the gender disparities that have long defined Nigeria’s extractive sector, and to build systems — not just isolated interventions — that give women lasting access to opportunity, capacity, and voice.
Looking Ahead
For Dairo, the award is a reminder of why continued investment in women-led initiatives matters. “Empowering women in the mining sector would not only strengthen communities but also build a more resilient and sustainable extractive industry,” she noted.
NIWIMNRO has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding opportunities for women artisanal miners, strengthening support for mining communities, and advocating for policies that promote equity, safety, and sustainable development across Nigeria’s mining sector. The organisation sees this recognition not as an endpoint, but as fuel for the next phase of its work — one that continues to place women at the center of Nigeria’s mining future.
NIWIMNRO extends its sincere appreciation to EnergyNet for this recognition, and to the hundreds of women artisanal miners, cooperative members, and community partners whose resilience and determination made this achievement possible.
NIWIMNRO (Nigerian Indigenous Women in Mining and Natural Resources Organisation) works to advance gender inclusion in Nigeria’s mining and natural resources sector through advocacy, capacity building, policy engagement, and community development. To learn more about our programmes or get involved, contact us through our website.