The call came at a high-level engagement with political parties on strengthening women’s political participation, organised by the Commission in Abuja and bringing together party leaders, development partners, women’s organisations, civil society groups and election stakeholders to chart practical strategies for increasing women’s representation in elective offices.
In a welcome address delivered on behalf of the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Rose Anthony-Orianran, by the Director, Gender and Inclusivity Department, Mrs. Lakunuya Dorothy Bello, participants were reminded that while women continue to participate actively as voters, their representation as candidates and elected officials remains far below expectations. She noted that only 1,556 out of 15,331 candidates, or 10.2 per cent, in the 2023 General Election were women, with just three women elected to the Senate and sixteen to the House of Representatives. She stressed that meaningful inclusion requires collective action from political parties, electoral stakeholders and development partners, and urged participants to identify practical solutions that would remove barriers to women’s political participation ahead of 2027.
Declaring the engagement open on behalf of INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, National Commissioner Prof. (Mrs.) Rhoda Habor Gumus conveyed the Chairman’s apology for his absence due to another national assignment and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to inclusive democracy. She observed that although women accounted for 47.5 per cent of registered voters in the 2023 General Election and formed the majority of registrants during the final phase of the recently concluded Continuous Voter Registration exercise, that impressive participation has not translated into electoral success. Women remain grossly underrepresented in elective offices despite their numerical strength within the electorate, she said, challenging political parties to deliberately provide female candidates with equal access to party structures, campaign funding, media visibility, logistics, mentoring, security, fundraising networks and grassroots mobilisation. Prof. Gumus stressed that investment in women’s political leadership should not be viewed as a concession but as an investment in the future of Nigeria’s democracy, and urged parties to strengthen internal mechanisms protecting women from intimidation, violence and discrimination while building sustainable pathways for women to emerge as political leaders beyond 2027.
The engagement featured goodwill messages from national and international partners, all reaffirming their commitment to advancing women’s political participation. Representing the Director-General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, Mrs. Ijeoma Duru expressed concern over the declining number of female candidates emerging from party primaries and urged political parties to provide immediate organisational support to women candidates through dedicated campaign funding, equal media visibility, enhanced security and institutional backing. She renewed calls for the passage of the Special/Reserved Seats Bill, describing affirmative action as an essential measure for reversing the decline in women’s representation, and disclosed that the Centre, in collaboration with UN Women, remains committed to supporting female candidates through digital resource centres established across the country.
In a goodwill message delivered on behalf of the UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, Dr. Susan Agada commended INEC for convening the dialogue and emphasised that strengthening women’s political participation is fundamental to democratic governance, sustainable development and peace. She noted that despite women’s enormous contributions to national development, structural barriers, discriminatory norms, inadequate political financing and electoral violence continue to impede their participation, and called on political parties to adopt gender-responsive policies, ensure transparent nomination processes, create safe political spaces and invest in the development of female aspirants and leaders. UN Women, she assured, would continue supporting Nigeria through advocacy, capacity-building and strategic partnerships.
Mr. Adebowale Olorunloshola of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy lamented Nigeria’s poor global ranking in women’s political representation despite women constituting almost half of the electorate. He called for greater engagement with political party decision-makers, noting that while many party officials already support women’s inclusion, those with the ultimate authority to determine candidates must also be persuaded to embrace gender-inclusive politics. Improving women’s representation is critical to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic credentials, he stressed, pledging the Foundation’s continued support for inclusive democracy.
Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Dr. Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, pushed back against claims that women’s involvement in the 2027 elections had declined, insisting that available data must be properly examined before reaching such conclusions. According to him, some women had received support from political parties, while in other instances, individuals had relied on personal resources and efforts to bring female candidates into the political process.
Earlier, Deputy Director, Gender, Mrs. Hembadoon Akaayar, outlined the objectives of the engagement, including securing firm commitments from political parties to support female candidates, ensuring equitable access to campaign resources, increasing women’s visibility, strengthening protection against violence and harassment, fostering a more supportive political environment, sustaining support for women beyond the 2027 elections, and strengthening collaboration and accountability among stakeholders. She expressed optimism that the engagement would produce concrete, measurable commitments capable of translating into greater opportunities for women to participate meaningfully as candidates, leaders and decision-makers in Nigeria’s democracy.
A keynote presentation by former Director of Voter Education and Publicity and electoral legal expert, Barr. Oluwole Osaze Uzzi, examined global trends in women’s political participation, Nigeria’s constitutional and international obligations on gender equality, and practical pathways for improving women’s representation in governance. Drawing lessons from successful democracies across Africa and beyond, he urged political parties and electoral stakeholders to adopt bold reforms that would create an enabling environment for women to emerge as candidates, leaders and decision-makers.
Beyond the keynote presentations and goodwill messages, the engagement featured a robust panel discussion and interactive dialogue involving representatives of political parties, election management experts, development partners, gender advocates and civil society organisations, examining the structural, financial and socio-cultural barriers limiting women’s participation in politics and identifying practical measures for reversing the trend ahead of 2027.
The engagement culminated in the presentation of a draft communique containing key issues, proposed commitments and recommendations arising from the panel discussions. The communique was presented by Samuel Bassey and subsequently adopted by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Barrister Sylvester Sly Ezeokenwa, on behalf of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, marking a key outcome of the engagement as participants emphasised the need for political parties to move beyond placing women on the ballot and provide the support required to enable them to compete effectively.
In his closing remarks, the Chairman of the Outreach and Partnership Committee, Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, commended participants for their time and contributions, describing the discussions as frank, far-reaching and constructive. He said the emergence of women as candidates was an important achievement, but stressed that it should be regarded as only the beginning of a broader effort to secure meaningful participation and leadership for women in Nigerian politics. He noted that the period between party primaries and the general election was equally important in ensuring that female candidates received the necessary support to participate effectively, adding that political parties have an important role to play by providing women candidates with access to campaign platforms, resources, visibility, political networks and institutional support.
