The Director-General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Issa Aremu, has called for deliberate constitutional and policy reforms that would increase women’s representation in governance, including the creation of special seats for women in Nigeria’s National Assembly.
Aremu made the call in Ilorin during the 2026 International Women’s Day celebration organised by the institute in collaboration with the Development Research and Projects Centre in Abuja
The event, themed “Advancing Women Through Unity: The Impact of Collective Support – Give to Gain,” brought together labour leaders, market women, people living with Disabilities, government officials and development partners in a citizenship engagement to discuss strategies for strengthening women’s participation in leadership and national development.
Read Also: Minister Hails Growing Women’s Political Participation in Nasarawa
According to Aremu, Nigeria must adopt deliberate measures to address the persistent under-representation of women in political decision-making.
“We must be deliberate and intentional about women’s participation in governance. Women constitute a significant portion of the population and should be adequately represented in leadership positions,” he said.
The DG explained that discussions on gender inclusion in governance have proposed the creation of six reserved legislative seats for women across each geopolitical zone in the country.
Aremu noted that women make up about 51 percent of the global population and therefore deserve stronger representation in the nation’s political institutions.
The labour leader also joined President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady Oluremi Tinubu in celebrating women across the world for their contributions to social and economic development.
He said both the President and the First Lady were on spot to say when “ women rise, Nigeria rises”.
Aremu commended the current administration for appointing women into key government positions, noting that many of them are already making meaningful contributions in strategic sectors.
Aremu also praised female staff of the institute for their professionalism and dedication, stressing that the progress recorded at the institute during his tenure was made possible with their support.
He added that women often bring unique perspectives to leadership, particularly in promoting dialogue and peaceful conflict resolution.