The League of Women Voters of Nigeria (NILOWV) has called for urgent legislative, political and economic reforms to remove barriers to women’s participation in governance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The call was made at NILOWV’s 30th anniversary All-Women Conference in Abuja, where the organisation’s Founder and Chairperson of its Board of Trustees, Dr Esther Uduehi, and keynote speaker, Dr Otive Igbuzor, outlined measures to improve women’s representation, leadership and economic independence.
Uduehi identified constitutional reform and passage of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill as priorities, alongside coordinated advocacy across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
READ ALSO: Stakeholders Advocate More Women Participation in Politics
She called for enforcement of the 35 per cent benchmark for women in appointive positions and urged political parties to establish measurable targets for women’s nominations and leadership.
“Women’s inclusion is not a favour to women; it is a responsibility to Nigeria,” Uduehi declared.
Electoral Laws
To make political participation more accessible, the NILOWV founder advocated leadership training in campaign management, fundraising, public speaking, digital communication, policy and electoral laws.
She also called for measures to address prohibitive nomination fees and exclusionary party processes, alongside mentorship networks linking experienced women with emerging leaders.
On economic empowerment, Uduehi advocated affordable credit, access to land and markets, technology, agricultural support and improved opportunities for women-owned businesses.
Measure Progress
She urged the government to measure progress through indicators such as women’s income, asset ownership, job creation and business survival.
Uduehi further called for safer learning environments, girls’ education and opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as well as stronger responses to gender-based violence and political intimidation.
She also stressed the need for gender-responsive budgeting, reliable gender-disaggregated data and sustained partnerships involving government, traditional and religious leaders, labour, the private sector and development partners.
Delivering the keynote address, Igbuzor, Founding Executive Director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development, said Nigeria could not achieve inclusive development while women remained marginalised in political decision-making.
He cited analyses of candidate lists for the 2027 elections which, he said, put women’s share of candidates at about 9.7 per cent.
Igbuzor advocated passage of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, which proposes 182 additional legislative seats, comprising 37 in the Senate, 37 in the House of Representatives and 108 across the 36 State Houses of Assembly.
“The Reserved Seats for Women Bill is not a concession to women. It is a necessary democratic correction,” he maintained.
He also proposed reforms to political party candidate selection, campaign financing and leadership recruitment, alongside sustained investment in women’s political skills, protection against violence targeting women in politics, voter education and electoral accountability.
The keynote speaker called for monitoring systems with measurable targets and periodic reports to track progress in women’s political participation.
Both speakers stressed that reforms must produce measurable outcomes, not just activities or declarations.
Uduehi urged NILOWV to strengthen its grassroots structures, research capacity, institutional accountability and partnerships to advance women’s participation in governance.
As Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, the speakers maintained that women’s political inclusion requires enforceable reforms, adequate funding, and accountability, not promises alone.
