Young female fellows plan greater political participation in Niger

The Kallabi Leadership Legislative Assembly, in support of the Salma Attah Foundation for Women and Girls, has organised a six-month training programme for 25 young female fellows on leadership skills and hands-on experience in the legislative proceedings of the Niger State House of Assembly.

The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkin Daji, in his keynote address during the close-out ceremony of the training, held at the Assembly’s new wing complex on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, lamented the poor participation of women in the state’s political space.

He urged young female fellows to prepare themselves to compete favorably with their male counterparts in the 2027 general elections.

The Speaker, represented by Umar Paiko, the member representing Paikoro Constituency at the Assembly, expressed concern over the poor representation of women in the legislative arm, stressing the need for women to strive harder and change the trend.

“The State Assembly has only one female representative, which suggests the need for more women to participate in the political process and seize the opportunity to contribute their quota,” Sarkin Daji said.

The Speaker, however, advised the young female fellows to utilise the knowledge gained during the training to begin preparing for the electoral process in the next general elections.
Earlier, the Executive Director of Kallabi Leadership, Amrah Aliyu, expressed dismay over the low participation of women in politics at all levels in the state. She noted that since 1999, the Assembly has had only eight female representatives.

Amrah explained that the young female fellows are determined to ensure that more women occupy seats in the Assembly by 2027.

She disclosed that during the six-month training, the young female fellows were assigned to different committees of the House, where they learned about the functions of committee members. She added that the experience has prepared them to raise the next generation of women leaders at all levels.

“During the six-month training, the young female fellows attended classes on leadership, communication, public speaking, and legislative proceedings. They also attended Assembly plenary sessions to observe and understand how plenaries are conducted,” Amrah said.

Amrah expressed delight over the support from the Salma Attah Foundation for the young female fellows and appreciated the leadership of the State Assembly for providing them with the opportunity to showcase their talents.

Highlights of the close-out ceremony included a symbolic mock legislative assembly, where participants demonstrated what they had learned during the six-month training. Meanwhile, three bills were proposed, and two motions were moved accordingly.