In the ongoing conversation about Women's Economic Empowerment, the focus has historically been skewed towards tangible 'Assets' rather than the crucial element of 'Agency.' The prevailing assumption has been that providing capital and skills would automatically lead to wealth accumulation. However, groundbreaking research exposes a deeper, psycho-social barrier that hinders even the most skilled women from transforming their capabilities into financial equity.
The Hidden Cost of Internal Narratives
According to Dr. 'Tale Alimi, whose work centres on the concept of the "Shame Tax," a significant ceiling exists that is maintained not only by external obstacles but by internal subconscious programmes. These internal "collection agencies" function to keep individuals safe by limiting their ambition and scope. Dr. Alimi argues that to access the staggering $95 billion economic opportunity lost due to female self-exclusion, the work must move beyond financial literacy to what she terms "internal decommissioning."
The path to genuine economic liberation, or the Female Fortune, requires identifying and dismantling four specific internal programmes that siphon away economic power and confidence.
1. The Minimiser: Editing Your Own Brilliance
The first programme to eliminate is the Minimiser. This is the internal voice that dismisses major accomplishments as flukes or lucky breaks rather than earned achievements. When a woman lands a significant contract or leads a successful project, the Minimiser quickly labels it an anomaly. Often disguised as humility, this habit is a strategic drain on Behavioural Collateral.
In a marketplace where influence is a prime currency, failing to own your track record means entering negotiations at a self-imposed disadvantage. The Minimiser ensures that even when a woman is physically present in important spaces, she is not fully seen or heard because she has already mentally erased the proof of her own competence.
2. The Apologist: Paying the "Respect Levy"
Closely linked is the Apologist, the programme responsible for what Dr. Alimi calls the "Respect Levy." This manifests as a persistent need to soften one's presence to remain palatable to others. It is the unnecessary "sorry to bother you" in an email demanding rightful payment, or the "I might be wrong" preface to a valuable strategic insight.
This constant self-modulation is an exhausting form of emotional labour that subtly signals a lack of entitlement to the authority one has rightfully earned. Every apology for competence acts as a micro-payment to a system not designed to support women's advancement. The shift required is to recognise that directness is not a lack of grace but the fundamental language of leadership.
3. The Moraliser: Framing Ambition as a Flaw
The third, and perhaps most culturally ingrained programme, is the Moraliser. This personality frames financial ambition and the desire for more as character flaws—labeling it as "un-African," "selfish," or "not being a team player." For many Nigerian women, this stems from an "Inheritance of Anxiety"—the belief that a "good woman" is a low-cost one.
The Moraliser makes the simple act of auditing an invoice or demanding a market-rate fee feel like an act of greed. Dr. Alimi stresses that an undervalued woman cannot build a lasting legacy. Reclaiming one's economic worth is not a moral failure; it is an essential prerequisite for creating the meaningful impact one is destined to have within their family and community.
4. The Competence Doubter: The Final Barrier to Ownership
The fourth programme is the Competence Doubter, identified as the primary driver behind the statistic that 26 percent of qualified women voluntarily withdraw from funding opportunities. This programme takes systemic barriers, such as biased questioning from a potential lender, and internalises them as personal inadequacy.
Instead of recognising flaws in the system, the Doubter turns inward with questions like, "Am I bad with money?" or "Do I truly understand this?" This internal gaslighting represents the final barrier to true ownership, causing women to walk away from the negotiating table before discussions even begin, thereby leaving both money and collective power unclaimed.
Reclaiming the Territory of Your Financial Life
Dr. Alimi, the Founder of REAF Africa, an organisation dedicated to closing the economic gender gap through behavioural science and institutional redesign, offers a clear solution. She states, "You cannot rewrite rules you were never meant to read, and you cannot dispute a bill you have never seen."
The journey must begin with a forensic audit of these internal scripts. Women are encouraged to stop viewing their financial journeys as a series of literacy errors and start treating them as a territory to be reclaimed. Growth in the coming year depends on the willingness to stop paying the tax of silence and start exercising the freedom of mind.
To facilitate this personal audit, Dr. Alimi invites women to take the Shame Tax Self-Audit available on her website. The goal is to make the invisible visible and reclaim the ultimate currency: confidence. This work, published on 17 January 2026, is a crucial call to action for Nigerian women to unlock their full economic potential.
