The Executive Director of the Policy Innovation Centre (PIC), Osasuyi Dirisu, has emphasised the urgent need for inclusive policymaking that reflects the realities of Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations.
In an interview with Voice of Nigeria, Dirisu called on the government to revisit policies with a gender and intersectional lens.
“A policy is not supposed to be cast in stone. It is policy for humans. Policy to improve the lives of human beings. Can we go back to the drawing board since we are really at those baby steps of implementation, translating to different languages, and just take a second look and see what is missing in terms of the gender and intersectional lens and what we can do better,” she said.
Read also: PIC Launches Purple Book to Drive Inclusive Governance
Highlighting the core message of the PIC’s “Purple Book,” she stressed that policy processes must go beyond surface-level inclusion.
“The message in the Purple Book from the PIC is that in our policy processes and in our programme design, we need to include the voices of women, young people, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups
“When people face multiple layers of disadvantage, sometimes there has to be a lot more intentionality with reaching these people, bringing them to the table, and ensuring that their voices are heard.” The Executive Director stated
Dirisu noted that insights from grassroots participants at the PIC 2025 Gender Summit directly shaped the recently held policy conversation on tax reform.
“This conversation we had today around the tax reform came from those conversations from people in the informal sector who came for the summit in 2025 and kept echoing this conversation around; tax reform is coming, we do not know what it means,” she stated.
On women’s economic empowerment, she explained that progress must be viewed through an intersectional lens, linking health, education, and social outcomes.
Addressing claims that women were absent from tax reform policy discussions, Dirisu challenged the narrative, pointing instead to gaps in engagement and communication.
“Representation is not just about giving people an opportunity to come to the table. If you do not understand the subject matter, the context, how it impacts you, then your advocacy will be limited to your level of understanding,” she said.
Dirisu cautioned against over-reliance on high-tech solutions, urging simpler, more accessible approaches.
“What of the parents who are not on social media? What of the parents in rural areas? What is the role of radio jingles and all those other things?” The Executive Director queried.
Looking ahead to 2026, she stressed the need to move from agenda to action, particularly for those at the last mile.
“How will this impact on the fish seller at Seme border? “What sort of innovation should we be thinking about for people at the last mile?” Dirisu asked.