By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

In a bold move set to reshape women’s economic prospects and child survival outcomes across Nigeria, TOS Foundation Africa has announced a strategic partnership with the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum ,NGSF, to drive coordinated, state-led interventions in all 36 states of the federation.

The collaboration, unveiled in Abuja on Monday, is aimed at scaling women’s economic empowerment, strengthening primary healthcare systems, and improving the livelihoods of women and families, particularly in underserved communities.

At the heart of the partnership is the implementation and expansion of TOS Foundation Africa’s flagship Women and Girls Empowerment ,WAGE, and Capacity Building Incubator ,CBI framework.

The initiative combines economic empowerment with health system strengthening, recognising the critical link between women’s financial security, household resilience, and infant survival.

The WAGE and CBI framework was first introduced in 2020 by TOS Foundation Africa,then known as The Osasu Show Foundation,during a period of heightened national concern over persistent gender inequalities.

The programme was launched at a high-level press conference attended by key public, private, and civil society stakeholders, including the then Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Kedem Tallen, and the Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho.
It was supported by a ₦2.5 billion catalytic fund.

Designed as a practical, systems-strengthening approach, the framework moves resources closer to communities, reinforces existing institutions, and equips women with the skills and opportunities needed to participate meaningfully in economic life with dignity, stability, and agency.

The newly formalised alliance with the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum marks a major evolution of this vision.
Under the leadership of its Chairperson, Amb. Prof. (Mrs.) Olufolake AbdulRazaq, the Forum brings together the spouses of Nigeria’s governors, occupying a unique position within the country’s governance ecosystem.

With close ties to subnational leadership and trusted grassroots networks, the Forum serves as a powerful bridge between policy and community-level impact.

By aligning TOS Foundation Africa’s technical expertise, programme design, and monitoring frameworks with the Forum’s convening power and state-wide reach, the partnership establishes a platform for coordinated action that prioritises state ownership, sustainability, and alignment with national development goals.

Key areas of focus include strengthening Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to improve infant survival rates, expanding pathways for women’s economic empowerment to boost household resilience, and supporting state-led implementation models that are context-responsive, measurable, and scalable.

Speaking on the partnership, the Founder of TOS Foundation Africa, Chief (Mrs.) Osasu Igbinedion Ogwuche, described women’s economic security and child survival as inseparable priorities.

“Improving child survival and women’s livelihoods requires more than isolated programmes. It requires systems that recognise how closely a mother’s economic stability is tied to a child’s chance at survival,” she said.

“When women have the tools to earn, to access quality care, and to make informed choices, families become healthier and communities grow stronger.

“This partnership is about delivering impact in ways that are practical, locally led, and sustainable. By working with the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum, we are strengthening existing state systems and ensuring that national priorities translate into measurable improvements in the lives of women and children at the community level.”

The partnership signals a major step toward taking the WAGE and CBI framework nationwide, reinforcing TOS Foundation Africa’s commitment to inclusive governance, social equity, and sustainable development.

With coordinated action across the states, stakeholders say the initiative holds the promise of transforming women’s livelihoods and improving child survival outcomes across Nigeria.

The Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum is a platform that unites governors’ spouses to champion social development initiatives focused on women, children, and families, leveraging its access to subnational leadership and grassroots communities to drive improved social outcomes.

TOS Foundation Africa is a pan-African nonprofit organisation dedicated to advancing inclusive governance, gender equity, youth empowerment, and sustainable development through policy advocacy, programme delivery, research, and strategic partnerships.

As the partnership takes off, expectations are high that this collaborative effort will translate policy vision into real, measurable change in the daily lives of Nigerian women and children.