Women’s participation in leadership and decision-making spaces in Nigeria remains significantly limited due to a combination of social, economic and political barriers, a civil society advocate, Nkiru Uzodi, has said.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Monday, Uzodi, who is Programme Manager at the Legislative, Gender Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, made the remark while discussing the challenges preventing more Nigerian women from occupying leadership positions across key sectors.
Speaking on the sidelines of International Women’s Day, Uzodi noted that although women have made some progress in the corporate and private sectors, representation remains particularly low in governance and political leadership.
According to her, one of the most critical barriers is the way women are socialised from an early age, which often discourages them from aspiring to positions of power and influence.
“I think women have to be socialised early. We have to start by telling young girls and young women that they belong in spaces where decisions are being made,” Uzodi said.
She explained that when this kind of encouragement does not begin in schools and universities, it becomes difficult for women to confidently pursue leadership opportunities later in life.
Uzodi also stressed the importance of raising public awareness about the scale of gender inequality, noting that meaningful solutions cannot emerge unless society fully understands the extent of the problem.
“I think what we are doing now is one way, which is talking about it and creating awareness,” she said, adding that sharing data and statistics on women’s representation helps highlight how serious the gaps remain across different sectors.
As part of efforts to address the imbalance, Uzodi said civil society organisations are currently working with the National Assembly to support the proposed Special Seats Bill, which seeks to increase women’s representation in the legislature.
The bill, she explained, is designed to ensure that the National Assembly becomes more inclusive and reflective of Nigeria’s population by creating additional opportunities for women to participate in decision-making.
Uzodi described the proposal as an important step toward addressing the declining number of women elected into public office over the years.
“Since 2007, with each election cycle we’ve seen fewer women win elections or come into elected positions, and projections suggest the numbers could drop further in 2027,” she said.
While the Special Seats Bill is designed as a temporary constitutional amendment that would run for four election cycles, Uzodi argued that it could serve as a catalyst for broader reforms that encourage more women to pursue political leadership.
Beyond legislative reforms, she also suggested that policies aimed at promoting gender inclusion in corporate leadership could help open more opportunities for women.
Uzodi noted that some countries have adopted mandatory gender quotas for corporate boards, but acknowledged that similar measures in Nigeria may face resistance due to cultural and political attitudes.
However, she maintained that governments do not always require new legislation to promote gender equality, pointing out that existing policies such as the National Gender Policy already provide a framework for advancing women’s participation.
“The government can make decisions and implement policies that give women opportunities, trust and space to lead,” she said.
Uzodi further identified political violence and intimidation as major factors discouraging women from contesting elections, particularly in Nigeria’s highly competitive political environment.
According to her, women who choose to enter politics often face reputational attacks, threats and other forms of intimidation that discourage participation.
She also highlighted the high financial cost of political campaigns as another significant barrier.
“You really need money to run elections in this country, and lots of women simply do not have that kind of financial capacity,” Uzodi said.
The advocate also pointed to structural issues within political parties, including candidate selection processes and internal gatekeeping, which often disadvantage female aspirants.
Uzodi argued that while cultural stereotypes and institutional barriers may take time to overcome, targeted legal and constitutional reforms could help accelerate progress toward gender inclusion.
She expressed optimism that with stronger political commitment and sustained advocacy, Nigeria can begin to reverse the decline in women’s political representation and create more opportunities for women to participate in leadership.
Triumph Ojo
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