The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has expressed deep concern over the low representation of women in Nigeria’s National Assembly, currently standing at less than 10%.
Titilayo Daniel, a representative of NILDS, highlighted this “embarrassing” figure during a town hall meeting in Sagamu, Ogun State, attended by over 100 grassroots female politicians.
At the event, Daniel pointed to the stark gender disparity in Nigeria’s legislative body, emphasizing that women make up more than half of the country’s population, yet their voices are largely missing in critical decision-making roles.
She compared Nigeria’s figure with that of Rwanda, where women represent 61.3% of the parliament, calling Nigeria’s situation a significant shortfall.
“This is an embarrassing statistic for a nation of Nigeria’s size and status,” Daniel remarked.
She outlined structural barriers and discriminatory laws as ongoing challenges for Nigerian women seeking political involvement and urged immediate reforms to enhance female representation in governance.
NILDS’s call for greater inclusion comes amid renewed discussions on constitutional amendments to promote gender equity in politics, emphasizing the need for Nigeria to catch up with other African nations in ensuring balanced representation.
