Ladi Ashifa was seventeen when she began rebuilding her life after being displaced from Borno State in 2014. Living in Nigeria’s Kuchingoro Camp with her family, she survived on small-scale catering, earning less than ₦20,000 ($13) a month. Her education was interrupted, and her future uncertain. Joining the WINGS initiative transformed her trajectory. Through a catering apprenticeship, digital literacy training, and peer-led psychosocial support, she gained practical business skills, learned to manage finances, and now mentors other girls in the camp, offering hope and guidance.
WINGS, launched in 2024 with World Bank Youth Innovation Fund support, was designed to bridge humanitarian relief and long-term development for displaced women in Nigeria’s Northeast, where over four million people have been displaced by conflict. Women and girls make up 52% of this population, many living in camps for six to twelve years, facing disrupted education, economic exclusion, and heightened gender-based vulnerabilities. The program aims to break this cycle by providing training and support that build resilience and opportunity.
The initiative offers a tailored curriculum combining business and financial literacy, digital skills, gender and life skills, and psychosocial support. Beneficiaries learn budgeting, record-keeping, mobile finance, and online marketing. An e-learning platform accessible in low-connectivity environments ensures continuity beyond the program. WINGS also integrates climate awareness and environmental activities, connecting personal growth with community and planetary stewardship.
Central to WINGS is job creation. The program equips displaced women with the skills and agency needed for self-employment, small business development, and broader participation in Nigeria’s economy. In IDP settings where formal employment is scarce, entrepreneurship and self-employment become the main pathway to economic independence. By empowering women, the initiative aligns with the World Bank’s Jobs agenda, promoting inclusive growth that benefits families, communities, and the wider economy.
Since its launch, WINGS has established safe learning spaces, strengthened business literacy, and built emotional resilience through structured psychosocial support. Beneficiaries requiring additional mental health services are connected to qualified providers. Alumni like Ladi serve as peer mentors, expanding the program’s reach within their communities and creating a sustainable support network.
Looking forward, WINGS plans to expand support for girls aged 13–17 to prevent early and forced marriage and deepen economic empowerment for women aged 18–29. Digital literacy will be extended to include AI tools, and alumni networks will further enhance knowledge sharing. The model is replicable across Nigeria and similar displacement contexts, turning IDP camps into transition hubs where women gain not only survival skills but the tools to lead.
By investing in displaced women’s skills, mental health, and economic independence, WINGS is fostering inclusive growth, sustainable livelihoods, and generational change. Each girl who opens a bank account, mentors a peer, or grows her business contributes not only to her own future but to rewriting the story of her community.
