Women in Nigeria have called for creation of more opportunities to encourage their active participation in policymaking and support female candidates during elections.
In a survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Oyo, Ogun and Kwara States, the women also unanimously supported the call for a Bill for Special Legislative Seats for Women in Parliament.
Mrs Folasade Aladeniyi, a former Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ibadan Branch, said women participation in politics was not only a matter of equality, but a necessity for balanced and effective governance.
Aladeniyi said that women bring unique perspectives, compassion, and inclusiveness into leadership.
She said that their involvement ensures that the needs and interests of all members of society, especially womenfolk and children, are adequately represented in policy decisions.
Encouraging more women to take part in politics, according to her, will strengthen democracy and promote national development.
She noted that training and reserving seats for women were crucial steps towards bridging the gender gap in political representation.
Aladeniyi said that political training would equip women with the knowledge, confidence and leadership skills required to compete effectively.
“Reserved seats, on the other hand, help overcome long-standing social and structural barriers that have limited women’s access to political positions.
“Together, these measures create a more level playing field and encourage more women to step into leadership roles.
“Women contribute immensely to national development across all sectors — political, economic, and social. They play vital roles in education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and community building.
“In leadership, women often promote transparency, peacebuilding, and social justice; their active involvement in governance fosters inclusive growth and sustainable development, ensuring that no segment of the population is left behind,” she said.
In her own submission, former NAWOJ Chairperson in Oyo State, Mrs Bose Oyewole, urged more women to participate in politics because they form an integral part of the society.
“A complete family consists of a man, woman and children; it’s the family that forms the nation, while a family where only the man takes all the decisions will collapse eventually.
“Once we continue to have people who think the same way to rule a nation for a long time, there are bound to be problems.
“There will be lots of hardships and slow development.
“Unfortunately, that is what Nigeria has been facing in the last 65 years,” she said.
As regards training of women, Oyewole said that it was unfortunate that there had been this void from the beginning of the nation’s existence.
“Women have ruled great nations like India, Britain and even Japan, so, if it will take training for Nigerian women to get there, why not?
“I believe that women, especially those in rural areas, need a lot of enlightenment; there is a great gap between the enlightened women and those in rural areas.
“Intentional efforts should be made to bridge the gap between women who are enlightened and those in rural areas.
“Once women are involved in making laws for Nigeria, things will change drastically because they know where the shoe pinches,” the former NAWOJ chairperson said.
Oyewole emphasised that women contribute a lot to the development of any nation.
According to her, in commerce, markets, hospitals (as nurses) and virtually in all fields, women are there, and they are also the ones producing the food to feed the nation.
“They build the homes, hold the society together, ensure peace and progress in any nation, yet they suffer the most because the political clime does not favour them.
“The earlier we change this narrative, the better for the country and womenfolk,” Oyewole said.
Similarly, Ms Ademubowale Adelabu, Chairperson, FIDA Oyo State, urged women to fully participate in politics so as to fight the cause of women.
According to Adelabu, it is important to support the Bill for Reserved Seats for Women because it adds to the number of female voices at the parliament that are representatives of the masses.
“Women contribute in all spheres because you will find women in every discipline/sector. They contribute economically and socially also,” Adelabu said.
Similarly, Mrs Bisi Oluranti, a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, (Ogbomoso North), stressed the need for women to participate fully in politics.
This, Oluranti said, would help to overcome persistent barriers through legislative reform, financial and institutional support, as well as changes to deep-seated cultural and social norms.
“It is time that participation by more women in politics be addressed to ensure women have an equal opportunity to run for office, lead political parties, and influence policy decisions,” she said.
The lawmaker stressed the need for more women to participate in politics, noting that organisations that train women in politics and advocacy enjoyed reserved seats to increase representation.
“In 2025, women remain underrepresented in executive and national parliamentary positions.”
This, she said, signals that many organisations should do more to offer training like campaign management, fundraising, public speaking, and building networks, targeted at women to encourage them to participate in politics and contest for elective office
Also, a former Commissioner for Social Development in Kwara, Mrs Bosede Buraimoh, urged everyone to support the bill encouraging participation of more women in politics, with a view to propelling them to do more in the field.
“Sadly, Nigeria has had a low percentage of women participation in politics which persists till now, and for which there are several factors responsible,” she said.
Buraimoh listed some of the factors to include inadequate support as well as deep-seated cultural and social norms.
Also, the Executive Officer, Global Hope for Women and Children (GLOHWOC), Christy Abayomi, called for continuous sensitisation on gender stereotyping and gender bias in the community.
Abayomi identified political violence as a factor discouraging women participation in politics.
She called for more mentoring programmes for women in politics to build their capacity to perform better and improve their self-esteem to come up with working policies.
The Chairman of Civil Societies Organisations, Mr Abdulrahman Ayuba, advocated conscious and deliberate moves to bring women to actively participate in politics.
“It is necessary because our society has left women behind.
“We have to go back to the grassroots in terms of reorientation on why more women need to be brought on board.
“The society needs to see them first as human beings and not as a particular gender,” he said.
Also, Alhaji Zubair Dan-Maigoro, Senior Special Adviser to Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulrRasaq of Kwara on Religion (Islamic Matters), said that Islam did not forbid women’s participation in politics once permitted by their husbands.
Similarly, Mr Bashir Yusuf, a former Chairman, Joint National Association of People with Disabilities (JONAPWD), said women with disabilities faced gender and disability discrimination.
“They should be given the same opportunity to prove their potential because what they need is empathy and not sympathy,” he said.
The Women Environment and Youth Development (WOYODEV), a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), called on Nigerian women to brace-up and increase their political participation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mrs Tosin Apiriola-Ajayi, its Executive Director, explained that the organisation had commenced a project on empowering women for political participation in Nigeria.
According to her, the project is a grant by the UN-Women Headquarters with funding from European Union under the WYDE (Women and Youth Democratic Engagement) initiative.
Apiriola-Ajayi said that WOYODEV targets three states in Nigeria – Kwara, Enugu and Lagos – for the implementation of the project.
She said that the objective was to accelerate a socio-cultural shift from norms that limit women participation in active politics to positive democratic values that empower women’s active political participation in Nigeria by 2027.
Apiriola-Ajayi observed the need to ensure women political engagement and create momentum for attaining affirmative action in the 2027 national elections.
“Feminist coalitions and movements need to be strengthened throughout Nigeria, while encouraging long-lasting local collaborations to oppose gender discrimination.
“There is need to question unequal power dynamics and put an end to detrimental sociocultural practices that target women and girls,” she said.
The WOYODEV director emphasised the need to encourage female political candidates to be financially, intellectually, and legally prepared to foster an atmosphere that would allow them to run for office and win in the general elections.
Apiriola-Ajayi urged feminist coalitions and movements to enlist female parliamentarians, female party stalwarts and politically powerful women to engender women’s active participation in the 2027 general elections.
“With Nigeria’s elections coming up in 2027, WOYODEV is dedicated to bringing women from the periphery of politics into the mainstream and make sure they have the space, voice, and authority to take the lead.
“In order to give female candidates a fair and secure platform to engage in politics, strategic alliances with media and security organisations will be maintained,” she said.
In her contribution, Mrs Omolola Alamu, Chairperson, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, (NAWOJ) Oyo State Chapter, said there was a need for government to increase women participation in politics by encouraging them to aspire for elective positions.
Alamu advised that there should be a reduction in nomination form fee for women.
“This form can even be given to women for free. There’s also a need to appoint more women for political positions as this will encourage them to get involved in politics once they know there are positions for them to occupy, instead of slugging it out with their menfolk,” she said.
She added that there should be some particular positions reserved for women in politics, in line with the 35 per cent affirmation for women in politics, which no state in Nigeria had met.
“The era of using women to sing at political campaigns has gone; women should be seen beyond that and they should be given the chance to participate in political meetings by not holding meetings at midnight,” she said.
The proposed bill seeks to create one additional legislative seat to be contested by women only for each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the Senate and House of Representatives.
The women also seek to amend Sections 48 and 49 of the Constitution and propose three special seats for women, each at the 36 State Houses of Assembly.
Edith Isiek of Stand to End Rape (STER) Initiative, said it was important to gather support and raise people’s awareness for the bill’s easy passage.
According to her, individuals and organisations should prioritise the bill, engaging and discussing it. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Bayo Sekoni
