…Former Malawi president calls for greater female participation in politics, governance

The limited participation of women in political leadership and decision-making in Nigeria may affect efforts to achieve inclusive governance and development, former Malawian President Joyce Banda has said, urging women to challenge barriers to their entry and advancement in politics.

Banda said women, despite their contributions to political campaigns and community mobilisation, often had limited opportunities to influence decisions and secure leadership positions, a situation she said also required attention across Africa.

She made the remarks in Abuja at the 2026 graduation ceremony of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG), themed, “Breaking the Monopoly: Building Nigeria’s New Political Leadership Pipeline.”

The former president noted that women continued to encounter institutional and structural challenges that made it difficult for them to participate fully in politics and advance into positions of authority.

“Too often, women have been told, directly or indirectly, that politics is no place for them.

“Even when they enter, they encounter structures and practices that make participation and advancement unnecessarily difficult,” she said.

Banda expressed concern that women were often mobilised to support political movements and campaigns but did not always receive corresponding opportunities to occupy positions of influence when leadership roles were allocated.

She urged women to take a more active role in political engagement and challenge practices that limited their participation, rather than waiting to be invited into leadership.

“Women belong in the room where decisions are made; you belong in public institutions, you belong in political parties, you belong in parliament.

“You belong in executive leadership and wherever the future of your communities and countries is being decided,” she said.

Banda called for political leadership structures that would create greater opportunities for women, young people, professionals and other citizens whose contributions might not be adequately represented within established political networks.

She said Africa’s natural and human resources offered significant opportunities for development but noted that effective leadership, policy formulation and implementation were important to translating these resources into improved living conditions.

The founder of SPPG and former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, urged the graduands to apply the knowledge acquired during their training to improving governance and public policy in Nigeria and across Africa.

Ezekwesili said the institution had graduated more than 1,000 students across Nigeria, Senegal and Kenya since its establishment in 2021.

She identified leadership character and policy competence as areas requiring greater attention in efforts to improve governance, noting that SPPG’s multidisciplinary curriculum was designed to equip aspiring leaders with the skills to understand complex governance challenges and develop practical policy responses.

“We told you that the greatest gap in Africa, other than the issue of a lack of character in public leadership, is the absence of competencies that would be able to think through policies in the right way,” she said.

Ezekwesili added that the institution would continue to monitor its graduates and could revoke certificates if they failed to uphold the values and standards expected of them.

Also speaking, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire, Patrick Achi, said emerging leaders needed the knowledge, skills and values to respond to Nigeria’s and Africa’s development challenges.

Achi observed that despite the continent’s considerable mineral resources and human capital, many African countries continued to face difficulties in translating these assets into improved living conditions for their populations.

He called for effective leadership and active citizen participation, urging the graduands to approach public office as an opportunity to serve the people and promote the common good.

The Dean of SPPG Nigeria, Associate Professor Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said the institution was committed to preparing a new generation of leaders equipped with the knowledge and practical skills to address Nigeria’s governance challenges.

She said the school sought to promote accountability, integrity and inclusive governance while encouraging graduates to apply their training to improving their communities and the country.

The overall best graduating male student, Merit, and the best graduating female student, Chinyere, thanked the school’s founder, management and faculty for their contributions to their academic development.

Merit, who was also named the overall most outstanding graduating student, said the graduating class was committed to working collectively towards Nigeria’s development and contributing to progress across Africa.

The ceremony brought together professionals from the public sector, business community and civil society to discuss political leadership, public policy and opportunities for broadening participation in governance.