UN urges Nigerian politicians to give women 50% of leadership roles
UN Women Country Representative for Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, has advocated for gender equality in governance, stating that women should occupy half of parliamentary seats and leadership positions in Nigeria. She emphasized that women, who make up nearly 50 percent of Nigeria's population, are entitled to equal representation.
Eyong warned that excluding certain segments of society from governance could result in future instability, stating: 'Whenever you engage in politics or development while excluding specific groups, you are intentionally setting the stage for rebellion.' She called for a 50-50 split in all leadership positions, including state houses of assembly and private sector representation.
The UN representative linked the erosion of public trust in democracy across Africa to the failure of democratic systems to provide tangible benefits to citizens. She argued that women's representation in leadership would help address pressing issues affecting citizens and accelerate development, noting: 'If women are sitting at the table, women will make the difference. Women will cause democracy to bring the dividends, to bring the results.'