Ahead of the 2027 general election, gender activists and stakeholders have urged more Nigerian women across the states of the federation to be actively involved in partisan politics.
The call was made at a one-day summit organized by a civil society group, the Women Environment and Youth Development Initiative (WOYODEV), held in Lagos.
The summit, themed “From Margins to Mainstream: Empowering Women for Political Participation in Nigeria,” was attended by women and girls across party lines and those living with disabilities.
The convener and executive director of WOYODEV, Mrs. Tosin Apiriola-Ajayi, said the summit was organized
‘’to promote strong and sustainable feminist movements and coalitions to foster the active participation of women in politics, challenge social norms—including gender discrimination—that often relegate women to the background in political power sharing and decision-making, and empower women to take leadership roles.’’
She urged Nigerian women to step forward and compete with men for political positions at both government and party levels.
She noted that ‘’Nigeria is not lacking in competent and credible women who can stand alongside men in politics. So, women must go beyond singing and dancing at political rallies and rise above barriers that have limited their participation in politics.
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“To actively engage in politics goes beyond merely coming out to vote or receiving empowerment from political leaders; it also entails competing for and winning elective positions, and the time to take action is now.
“But with this project, we aim to change the narrative by ensuring we have a substantial number of women in leadership positions across all levels of government and political parties.
A councillor and majority leader at the Lagos Island East Development Council Area, Mrs Mazeedat Giwa, and her Isolo LCDA counterpart, Mrs Abisodun Odusina, noted that partisan politics in Nigeria is male-dominated due to factors such as cultural and social norms, financial constraints, and time limitations, which often affect women.
The female politicians noted that Lagos State previously had only 22 female councillors, but the number has now risen to 42 across all 57 local government and development council areas with a possible increase to at least 100 in the next council election.