Nervous ahead of Nigeria's delayed election, a group of young women picked up their cellphones and wished each other well.

As she made her way along a lumpy dirt road clutching a stack of her own campaign flyers, Zainab Umar considered the odds against her.

In the run-up to Nigeria’s general election, starting this Saturday, more and more organisations are trying to turn the tide and get more women into elective positions.

When Bolanle Aliyu decided to run for governor of Oyo State in southwestern Nigeria, even her husband was initially reluctant to support her.

The status of women’s political participation in Nigeria is low, with less than 5 per cent of women holding political positions. Lois Auta, 38-year-old polio survivor from Abuja, is all about changing the status quo.

Ahead of Nigeria’s presidential elections on 16 February, UN Women and partners have been training women candidates, documenting political violence and advocating for measures to boost women’s low representation in Parliament.

Women Radio 91.7 has embarked on advocacy visits to stakeholders of democracy in a bid to ensure 2019 general elections is peaceful and non-violent to increase women’s participation.