Nigeria: Nigeria's Female Representation Among the Worst Globally, Says Group
A group, The Leaders of Tomorrow Impact Campaign on the Naija NextGen Project, states that Nigeria's female political representation is among the worst globally due to systemic exclusion.
Intelligence analysis by Gemini 2.5 Flash
The group highlights that despite women comprising nearly half the electorate, their representation in legislative bodies and as candidates remains extremely low. They attribute this to a political system that filters women out during party primaries through opaque delegate systems, prohibitive costs, and patronage networks, rather than a lack of qualified women.
Imagine a big school where half the students are girls, but when it's time to pick leaders for the school council, almost all the spots go to boys, even if the girls are super smart and good at leading. A group in Nigeria says this is happening in their country's government, where very few women get to be leaders, not because they aren't good enough, but because the rules for becoming a leader make it really hard for them to even try. They want to change the rules so more girls can have a fair chance to lead.
Analysis
The Leaders of Tomorrow Impact Campaign on the Naija NextGen Project has brought to light a critical issue regarding Nigeria's democratic health: its alarmingly low female representation in politics. The group's findings place Nigeria near the bottom of global parliamentary tables, with women holding only 4.2% of seats in the House of Representatives and 3.7% in the Senate. This stark reality, they argue, is not a consequence of a shortage of qualified women but rather a deeply entrenched "politics of exclusion" that systematically disadvantages female aspirants.
35 per cent affirmative action
The group strongly advocates for the full implementation of the 35 per cent affirmative action target outlined in Nigeria's National Gender Policy. This policy, though affirmed repeatedly, has lacked the necessary enforcement mechanisms, rendering it an aspiration rather than a tangible commitment. The current situation, where promises of inclusion precede cycles of exclusion, highlights a significant gap between policy intent and practical application.
Without concrete structural interventions, the group warns that the upcoming 2027 elections are poised to replicate the existing poor representation for women and youth. They emphasize that merely encouraging women to 'participate more' is insufficient when the political system itself is not designed to accommodate them. Enforceable mechanisms, such as reserved seats, are crucial to ensure that the principle of greater inclusion translates into measurable impact and transformation within Nigeria's political landscape.
2023 elections
The 2023 elections serve as a sobering benchmark for the systemic exclusion of women in Nigerian politics. Data from these elections reveal that women constituted nearly half of the electorate but only 10.2% of the total candidates. This disparity was even more pronounced at higher levels, with only one female presidential candidate and no female vice-presidential candidates.
Furthermore, among 420 governorship candidates, only 26 were women, none of whom ultimately won their races. The group points out that major parties rarely position women in winnable contests, citing examples where female candidates were fielded by parties with low likelihood of victory. This pattern suggests that women's visibility in elections is often symbolic, with the decisive losses occurring much earlier within the parties' primary processes, where opaque delegate systems and prohibitive costs create significant barriers.
Delmwa Deshi-Kura
Delmwa Deshi-Kura, the founder of The Leaders of Tomorrow Impact Campaign on the Naija NextGen Project and a Nigerian media executive, has been a vocal proponent for addressing this issue. She asserts that the real exclusion of women and youth occurs during party primaries, where they face significant hurdles such as opaque delegate systems, prohibitive costs, patronage networks, and political intimidation. These internal party dynamics effectively filter out women long before their names appear on a ballot, making the general election merely the final stage of a pre-determined exclusion.
Deshi-Kura underscores that representation is not merely a matter of virtue but a fundamental aspect of democracy and development. A democracy that consistently excludes roughly half its population from decision-making cannot fully leverage its collective intelligence, experience, and legitimacy. She highlights that women's leadership has tangible development returns, often leading to spending patterns that prioritize children's nutrition, health, and education, thereby benefiting society as a whole. Her call to action includes urging the National Assembly to pass enforceable affirmative-action mechanisms and demanding that political parties publish gender-disaggregated data to foster transparency and accountability.
Key points
- Nigeria's female representation in politics is among the worst globally, with only 4.2% in the House of Representatives and 3.7% in the Senate.
- The low representation is attributed to a "politics of exclusion" and systemic barriers within political parties, not a lack of qualified women.
- The 2023 elections showed women were nearly half the electorate but only 10.2% of candidates, with no female governors elected.
- The Leaders of Tomorrow Impact Campaign advocates for the full implementation of the 35% affirmative action target in the National Gender Policy.
- The group calls for enforceable affirmative-action mechanisms, including reserved seats, and for political parties to publish gender-disaggregated data.
If the National Assembly heeds the call to pass enforceable affirmative-action mechanisms, including reserved seats, and political parties commit to publishing gender-disaggregated data, Nigeria could see a significant improvement in female representation. This structural intervention could lead to a more inclusive democracy, better governance, and development outcomes that benefit all citizens, particularly in areas like child welfare.
Without intentional structural interventions and enforcement of existing gender policies, Nigeria is likely to continue its pattern of low female representation in the 2027 elections and beyond. This perpetuates a system of exclusion that hinders the country's democratic potential, limits its pool of talent for leadership, and slows progress on critical development indicators.
