The Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar O. Sulaiman has decried the women underrepresentation in governance.
Sulaiman made this known at the just concluded two-day International Conference on Women in Governance (WIG) held at NAF Conference Centre and Suites Abuja, Nigeria, between Wednesday, 23 and Thursday, 24 August, 2023.
“Despite accounting for 49.47 percent of the population, Nigerian women continue to be underrepresented in governance at the national, state, and local levels compared to their male counterparts. Though the extant policy framework in Nigeria recommends 35 percent affirmative action in favour of women, their representation in governance remains below 7 percent as witnessed in the 2023 general elections”, he stated.
NILDS emphasised that limited progress has been made in promoting gender equality and women empowerment in Nigeria in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to NILDS, “The Gender Development Index (GDI) declined from 0.661 in 2019 to 0.863 in 2021, reflecting a worsening situation of gender equality in Nigeria. The Human Development Index (HDI) of Nigerian men (0.574) is also significantly higher than that of women (0.495). men also have higher gross national income per capita (($5, 800) than women ($3,759); higher average years of schooling (8.2 years versus 6.1 years); average labour force participating rate (64 percent versus 49 percent).”
“Furthermore, women constitute over 60 percent of the 83 million poor Nigerians, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)’s Poverty and Inequality in Nigeria Report 2019. The huge gap in the development outcomes for men and women in Nigeria shows the prevalence of high gender inequality and is a challenge to the attainment of poverty reduction and the SDGs. The poor development outcomes of women relative to that of men is partly attributed to a number of factors, including the low participation of women in politics and governance. Although women account for 49.47 percent of the Nigerian population, they are underrepresented in governance”, NILDS added.
In attendance at the event are the President of the Senate, Godswill Obot Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Tajudeen Abass, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Emir of Keffi in Nasarawa State, Alh Shehu Chindo Yamusa 11, Co-Founder, African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), Bisi Fayemi, wife of the former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Executive Director, Policy Innovation Centre, NESG, Dr Osasuyi Dirisu, Director, Centre for Gender Studies, Benue State University, Makurdi, Professor Euginia George-Genyi, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), Professor Shola Omotola.
Others are Country Representative of the United Nations Women (UN Women), Ms. Beatrice Eyong, former lawmaker, Senator Biodun Christine Olujimi, Founder/CEO, ElectHER, Ms. Ibijoke Faborode, Teaching Fellow, Department of Economics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK, Dr. Love Odion Idahosa, Founder and Vice Chairman, NISA-Garki Medical Group, Dr. Ibrahim Wada, Former lawmaker, Hon. Wakil Mohammed, CEO Albino Foundation, Jake Epelle and Country Director, CMB Global Disability Inclusion, Ekaete Umoh.
