Despite constituting nearly half of Nigeria’s population, women remain significantly underrepresented in political leadership, highlighting a persistent democratic gap. More than three decades after the 35 per cent affirmative action target set at the Fourth World Conference on Women, stakeholders are renewing calls for urgent reforms to boost women’s participation in politics, KEHINDE OLATUNJI reports.

As Nigeria moves toward the 2027 general elections, key stakeholders used the recently concluded 2026 International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrations on March 8 to renew calls for political actors to set aside a reasonable quota to enhance gender participation in politics.
While this may not exactly mirror the recommendations of the 1995 Beijing Declaration held in China, stakeholders insist that something close must be achieved as the 2027 general elections approach.

The demand was particularly emphasised during the celebrations, as political parties have commenced their congresses in preparation for primaries ahead of the next general elections.

One of the key points raised at the IWD was the need for parties to reserve crucial positions to enhance gender participation in their executive structures. Recommendations were also made to ensure that the political environment is conducive to more women participating and contesting in the 2027 general elections at all levels.

Adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action set a global benchmark for advancing women’s rights, with strong emphasis on their inclusion in political leadership and decision-making.

It affirmed the principle of equal rights, calling for women’s full participation in governance, economic life, and public affairs.
The framework also highlighted the need for women’s economic empowerment through access to resources, employment, and entrepreneurship, alongside equal opportunities in education and training. It stressed improved healthcare, particularly reproductive health, and urged governments to take decisive steps to eliminate violence against women.

Crucially, the platform underscored women’s equal access to power structures and productive resources such as land, credit, and technology—recognising these as essential to achieving meaningful political participation and bridging the gender gap in leadership.

In a follow-up to the 1995 Beijing Declaration, Nigeria also pushed for affirmative action in 2004. Although this did not emerge as a binding law or constitutional provision, it emerged as a policy-driven demand, shaped by sustained advocacy from women’s groups and input into electoral and constitutional reform processes. At the heart of the push was a clear proposition: that women should occupy at least 35 per cent of all elective and appointive positions in governance.

This demand, articulated between 2004 and 2005, became the central benchmark for gender inclusion in Nigeria’s political space. It drew strength from global commitments such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which called for increased women’s participation in decision-making.

By 2006, the advocacy had crystallised into official policy with the adoption of the National Gender Policy, which formally enshrined the 35 per cent affirmative action target.

In essence, what began as a reform-driven declaration in 2004 evolved into a nationally recognised policy framework, setting a standard for women’s political inclusion that, two decades later, remains largely unmet.

Interestingly, 31 years after the Beijing Declaration and 22 years after Nigeria’s 2004 affirmative action push, gender participation remains far from being achieved, a development that spurred debate at the just-concluded 2026 IWD as another election cycle approaches.

Data from the 2023 general elections show that women secured just 17 out of 469 seats in the National Assembly, representing about 4.2 per cent. Only four women sit in the 109-member Senate, while 15 are in the 360-member House of Representatives. By contrast, a 35 per cent affirmative action target would translate to about 164 seats for women in the National Assembly.

At the subnational level, the imbalance is even more pronounced. Only 54 women occupy seats across 990 positions in State Houses of Assembly nationwide, with at least 15 states having no female legislators at all. This represents a mere 5.4 per cent participation, far below the expected 346 seats required to meet the 35 per cent benchmark.

In 2023, eight women were appointed as federal ministers in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, representing about 15–17 per cent of ministerial positions. Across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, women accounted for roughly 17 per cent of key state appointments, including commissioners and heads of government agencies.

When President Bola Tinubu transmitted his first ministerial list to the Senate in July 2023, seven women were nominated out of the 28 nominees, representing about 25 per cent of the initial batch. Following supplementary nominations and a subsequent withdrawal and replacement, the cabinet sworn in August 2023 comprised eight female ministers, Betta Edu, Hannatu Musawa, Doris Uzoka-Anite, Nkiru Onyejeocha, Stella Okotete, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, Iman Suleiman Ibrahim and Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure — bringing the total number of women in the 2023 Federal Executive Council to eight.

The disparity persists despite women accounting for about 49.43 per cent of the population, according to estimates by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Globally, the picture is somewhat better but still uneven. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) reports that women hold approximately 26.9 per cent of parliamentary seats worldwide as of early 2026—progress that still falls short of parity.

These figures have renewed pressure on policymakers, political parties, and civil society groups to confront the structural barriers limiting women’s access to political power, as conversations around inclusion took centre stage during the 2026 IWD celebrations.
Although no woman currently serves as an elected governor in any of the 36 states, there were modest gains at the deputy governorship level following the 2023 elections. Seven women emerged as deputy governors across different states, representing 19.44 per cent—still far below the 35 per cent target.

The current female deputy governors are Hadiza Balarabe Sabuwa (Kaduna), Akon Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom), Josephine Piyo (Plateau), Ngozi Nma Odu (Rivers), Noimot Salako-Oyedele (Ogun), Patricia Obila (Ebonyi), and Christiana Monisade Afuye (Ekiti). However, these gains remain insufficient when measured against the scale of the gender gap.

Participants at the IWD attributed the persistent underrepresentation of women in politics to a combination of structural, cultural, and economic barriers. Chief among these is the high cost of political participation.

Campaign financing, they noted, is notoriously expensive, often running into hundreds of millions of naira for major offices, effectively excluding many qualified female aspirants who lack access to such resources.

Research by UN Women indicates that women globally are twice as likely as men to cite lack of financial resources as a major obstacle to contesting elections. In Nigeria, this challenge is compounded by entrenched political financing networks that favour male candidates, further shrinking opportunities for women.

Beyond financial constraints, cultural expectations and entrenched patriarchal norms continue to shape perceptions of leadership. Women aspiring to political office often face heightened scrutiny, gender-based stereotypes, and societal pressures that discourage participation.

Political violence and intimidation also disproportionately affect women, creating an environment many consider unsafe for female candidates.

Civil society organisations argue that these barriers are reinforced by internal party dynamics, where women are frequently sidelined during candidate selection processes or relegated to less competitive positions. As a result, many political parties are accused of paying lip service to gender inclusion without implementing meaningful reforms.

During various IWD forums held across the country, advocates reiterated the need for affirmative policies to correct the imbalance. Central to these demands is the full implementation of a minimum 35 per cent affirmative action target for women in both elective and appointive positions.

Speakers emphasised that political parties must take the lead by reducing nomination fees for female aspirants, creating mentorship pipelines, and fostering safer political environments. They argued that without deliberate institutional support, gender parity in governance will remain elusive.

Beyond fairness and representation, experts stressed that women’s inclusion in governance has tangible benefits for societal development, including increased investment in education, healthcare, and social welfare.

National Chairperson of the Labour Party (LP), Nenadi Usman, underscored the urgency of dismantling systemic barriers hindering women’s political advancement, identifying money politics as a major impediment.

“I don’t see the reason why you must spend so much to seek an elective position. It is not right… You cannot be talking from outside; you must talk from inside,” she said.
She also called for stronger collaboration among women across party lines, stressing that unity could significantly improve their electoral chances.

Former Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi, said excluding women from leadership undermines democratic development.
“In Nigeria, where challenges like insecurity, poverty, and inequality hit women hardest, excluding half the population from power is like running a race with one leg tied,” she said.

She identified patriarchy, high campaign costs, political violence, and entrenched godfatherism as major deterrents.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, urged women to be more active in politics and support one another.

Similarly, Kemi Josephine Elebute-Halle emphasised the need to invest in women through mentorship, education, and leadership development.
Ambassador Zainab Mohammed also called for stronger and more deliberate efforts to close gender inequality gaps, describing IWD as both a moment of reflection and a call to action.

Observers note that the recurring themes of this year’s celebrations reflect a growing consensus that achieving gender parity in Nigeria’s political space will require sustained, coordinated efforts, including policy reforms, party restructuring, and cultural reorientation.
Without such deliberate action, stakeholders warn that Nigeria risks deepening a cycle of exclusion that undermines democratic legitimacy and national development. Ultimately, they insist that democracy can only be strengthened when it is truly representative, with women given equal opportunity to shape the country’s political future.