Nigerian First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called for the elimination of structural barriers against women’s active participation in politics. Speaking at the Economic Community of Female Parliamentarian (ECOFEPA) Forum, she also urged West African leaders to dismantle structural barriers that have relegated women from political leadership.
Represented by the wife of the Deputy Senate President, Hajiya Laila Barau, at the occasion that doubled for the celebration of the ECOWAS Parliament’s 25th anniversary, she boasted of Nigeria having increased the appointment of women into strategic leadership positions as compensation for the decline in elective positions.
With the theme, Advancing Women’s Proportional Representation in Governance, Senator Tinubu decried women’s underrepresentation in spite of their population in the region.
She, however, commended the National Assembly for the ongoing legislative efforts to introduce gender quotas, insisting that the decision is timely if the region must build an equitable society.
Also speaking, the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by the Director General, National Centre for Women Development, Dr Asabe Vilita Bashir, commended ECOFEPA for its sustained advocacy.
She reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting programmes that enhance women’s political participation, economic empowerment and leadership across the ECOWAS bloc.
Earlier in her welcome remarks, President, ECOFEPA, Honourable Veronica Kadie Sisay, applauded Senator Tinubu for her consistent support for gender parity initiatives, describing the platform as an important forum for strengthening advocacy for proportional representation in West Africa.
Sisay equally paid glowing tribute to past and present ECOFEPA members, noting that their contributions have strengthened the association’s influence in the region.
She noted that ECOFEPA recognised all female parliamentarians at state and national levels as full members and enhanced collaboration across member states.
She further highlighted several gender gaps across the sub-region, pointing out that most ECOWAS countries fall below the 35 per cent benchmark for women’s representation.
While Senegal has recorded over 42 per cent female lawmakers due to strong quota laws, Nigeria falls far behind at six per cent. She therefore urged member states to adopt proportional representation and reserved seats to reverse the trend.
In her remark, the Deputy Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly and Chairperson, Conference of Nigerian Female Parliamentarians (CONFEPA), Rt. Hon. Bolaji Olagbaju, while commending ECOWAS leadership for sustaining conversations on inclusive governance, said that gender balance is a fundamental democratic right.
Panel discussions during the event focused on ‘Strengthening Governance Towards the Realisation of ECOWAS Vision 2050’ and the ‘Impact of Gender Parity Laws and Allocation of Reserved Seats.’
