Anambra State Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, on Saturday threw their weight behind the proposed Reserved Seats Bill, warning that Nigeria’s democracy will remain weakened unless urgent steps are taken to increase women’s participation and representation in politics and governance.

The duo spoke at the 2026 National Women Summit of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), held under the theme, “Advancing Women’s Inclusion in Politics and Governance: Addressing Barriers to Women’s Participation and Representation.”

Soludo, represented by the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, said women have consistently demonstrated competence, integrity and effectiveness in leadership and should be given greater opportunities to contribute to governance and national development.

Ibezim said the Soludo administration has made women’s inclusion a priority through strategic appointments, resulting in what he described as unprecedented female representation in Anambra State.

According to him, women currently occupy key positions in the administration, including the offices of the Secretary to the State Government and the Head of Service.

He said women have repeatedly proven their capacity to manage institutions and resources efficiently, stressing that empowering women ultimately drives broader societal progress.

“Any structure you create and hand over to women will grow from strength to strength. Our experience at the grassroots has shown that women are highly committed and effective when entrusted with responsibility,” he said.

The deputy governor, however, expressed concern over the steady decline in the number of women occupying elective positions across the country.

“I look at the representation of women in the Senate and the House of Representatives, and it is dropping. There was a time it rose to about 10 per cent, but today it is even less than five per cent. We need to ask ourselves what is happening and begin to address the root causes,” he said.

He assured participants that the Anambra State Government would continue to support initiatives aimed at expanding opportunities for women in leadership and public service.

In her address, Ojukwu described women’s inclusion as a matter of democracy, development, and justice, arguing that the continued exclusion of women from decision-making positions undermines good governance and national development.

She lamented that despite constituting nearly half of Nigeria’s population and making significant contributions across all sectors, women remain grossly underrepresented in political institutions.

“Today, women occupy only a small fraction of seats in our National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and executive political offices. This imbalance is not because women lack competence, courage or leadership qualities. It reflects structural barriers that have persisted for decades,” she said.

The minister identified the high cost of political participation, political violence, cultural stereotypes, inadequate financing, and unequal access to party structures as some of the major obstacles preventing women from seeking elective office.

According to her, excluding women from governance deprives the country of valuable perspectives on education, healthcare, economic development, peace-building, and social welfare.

“When women are excluded from decision-making, society loses valuable perspectives and opportunities. Inclusive governance consistently produces stronger institutions, more balanced policies and more sustainable development outcomes,” she stated.

Drawing from her diplomatic engagements across Africa and beyond, Ojukwu said countries that have deliberately promoted women’s political participation have strengthened both their democratic institutions and economic performance.

She cited Tanzania and Namibia as examples of countries where affirmative measures and sustained political commitment have significantly improved women’s representation in governance.

The minister endorsed the proposed Reserved Seats Bill currently before the National Assembly, describing it as a necessary democratic corrective to address decades of historical imbalance.

“This proposal should not be viewed as a favour to women. It is a practical mechanism to address longstanding barriers that have prevented capable women from fully participating in governance,” she said.

Earlier, APGA National Woman Leader, Elizabeth Nwokeocha, said the summit was convened to galvanise support for greater representation of women in governance and decision-making.

She lamented that women currently occupy less than five per cent of legislative seats in Nigeria and expressed concern over the declining number of female candidates emerging from party primaries.

“The number of women who secured tickets in recent primary elections is lower than what we recorded in previous elections. We need urgent action to reverse this trend,” she said.

Also speaking, APGA National Chairman, Sly Ezeokenwa, said the party deliberately convened the summit to confront what he described as the “uncomfortable conversation” around the persistent exclusion of women from political leadership and decision-making, noting that Nigeria has for too long avoided addressing the issue with the urgency it deserves.

He said APGA has demonstrated its commitment to women’s inclusion through concrete policies, including reducing the cost of political participation by granting female aspirants a 50 per cent discount on nomination and expression of interest forms.

“One of the major barriers to women’s participation in politics is the high cost of contesting elections. In APGA, women pay only 50 per cent of the cost of our nomination and expression of interest forms because we are intentional about removing financial obstacles that discourage capable women from seeking elective office.

“If we can substantially reduce the financial burden associated with contesting party primaries, we believe more women will be encouraged to participate, emerge as candidates and ultimately occupy positions of leadership. Our commitment to women’s political inclusion goes beyond rhetoric; it is reflected in deliberate policies designed to create a level playing field,” he said.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, represented by the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Delegated Legislation, Dominic Okafor, said increasing women’s participation in politics is critical to strengthening democratic institutions and improving governance outcomes.

Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Kafilat Ogbara, accused political parties of paying lip service to women’s inclusion while failing to provide them with genuine opportunities during party primaries.

She argued that many women continue to be used mainly for mobilisation during elections but are sidelined when leadership and decision-making positions are shared.

Ogbara urged lawmakers, political parties and other stakeholders to support reforms that would expand women’s access to elective offices and improve Nigeria’s ranking on gender representation.

In her keynote address, former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Pauline Tallen, called for urgent and deliberate action to reverse the declining representation of women in Nigeria’s political space, stressing that women have continued to demonstrate competence and exemplary leadership across every sector of national life. (Nigerian Tribune)