Stakeholders at the 2026 National Women Summit of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have endorsed the proposed Reserved Seats Bill before the National Assembly, describing it as a crucial measure to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in Nigeria’s political and governance systems.
Speaking at the summit in Abuja, themed “Advancing Women’s Inclusion in Politics and Governance: Addressing Barriers to Women’s Participation and Representation,” Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, represented by Deputy Governor Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, stressed the need to expand women’s participation in leadership positions to strengthen democracy and improve governance.
Ibezim noted that women have consistently demonstrated competence and effectiveness in leadership roles and deserve greater opportunities to contribute to national development.
He said the Soludo administration has prioritized women’s inclusion in governance, resulting in significant female representation in key positions, including the offices of the Secretary to the State Government and Head of Service.
He, however, expressed concern over the declining number of women in elective offices nationwide, noting that female representation in the National Assembly has fallen from about 10 per cent to less than five per cent. He called for deliberate efforts to address the factors responsible for the trend and pledged continued support for initiatives promoting women’s leadership.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu described women’s inclusion as a matter of democracy, development and justice, lamenting the low representation of women in legislative and executive positions despite their contributions to national growth.
She attributed the imbalance to structural barriers such as the high cost of politics, political violence, cultural stereotypes, inadequate funding and limited access to party structures.
According to the minister, excluding women from decision-making processes deprives the country of valuable perspectives on governance, healthcare, education, economic development and peace-building.
She cited countries such as Tanzania and Namibia as examples where affirmative measures have significantly improved women’s political participation and strengthened democratic institutions.
She endorsed the Reserved Seats Bill, describing it as a practical mechanism to address longstanding barriers preventing women from fully participating in governance.
Earlier, APGA National Woman Leader, Elizabeth Nwokeocha, said the summit was convened to advocate increased representation of women in governance and decision-making.
She expressed concern that women currently occupy less than five per cent of legislative seats in Nigeria and noted a decline in the number of female candidates emerging from party primaries.
APGA National Chairman, Sly Ezeokenwa, said the party convened the summit to confront the continued exclusion of women from political leadership. He highlighted measures adopted by APGA to encourage women’s participation, including a 50 per cent reduction in nomination and expression of interest form fees for female aspirants.
Ezeokenwa said reducing the financial burden of contesting elections would encourage more women to seek elective positions and enhance their chances of emerging as candidates and leaders.
Also speaking, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, represented by Dominic Okafor, said greater female participation is essential for stronger democratic institutions and improved governance outcomes.
Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Kafilat Ogbara, criticized political parties for failing to provide women with genuine opportunities during party primaries, despite publicly supporting gender inclusion.
She urged lawmakers, political parties and stakeholders to support reforms that would expand women’s access to elective offices.
In her keynote address, former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Pauline Tallen, called for urgent action to reverse the declining representation of women in Nigeria’s political landscape, emphasizing that women have continued to demonstrate leadership and competence across various sectors.