Nigeria

The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has declared that democracy cannot be considered complete when women are excluded from policy-making processes.

This assertion was made by the Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, during the 2024 Gender and Inclusion Summit organised by the Policy Innovation Centre (PIC).

The Deputy Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Mrs Lara Edeko has urged women to participate in politics in order to contribute towards good leadership and nation building.

Edeko made the call in Benin, the state capital while speaking at the University of Benin Inaugural Women’s Leadership Conference.

In a deliberate effort to encourage more women to pursue leadership roles, WILAN Global is set to launch a documentary on women, who contested elections into various offices in Nigeria’s 2023 general elections.

The documentary, which premieres on Channels Television on August 31, will delve into the compelling stories of women who participated in the last general elections.

Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, has emphasised the need for greater inclusion of women in politics and governance, acknowledging their crucial role in the country’s socio-economic development.

The National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Mary Idele Alile, has said that only 6 per cent of women in Nigeria hold political office.

Dr Mary made the statement during her speech at the launch of “Project 774 Explode: Enhancing Gender Space in Politics” in Sokoto over the weekend.

The National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) has commended the House of Representatives for passing for second reading, a bill seeking to amend the Constitution to create extra legislative seats for women in the National and State Assemblies.

It also urged the Senate to concur so that Nigeria can join the ranks of countries that have made significant strides in promoting gender equality in governance.

In a landmark move, the Nigerian House of Representatives has taken a significant step towards empowering women in politics.

Spearheaded by one of the female lawmakers, Blessing Amadi, the House adopted a motion to establish a dedicated department within the Ministry of Women Affairs, complete with adequate funding to support and train women in politics.

The department will also work to integrate the importance of women’s political leadership into the secondary school curriculum.