As Nigeria commemorates 26 years of uninterrupted democratic governance, the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) has reiterated its call for improved women’s participation in politics, and especially re-emphasising the need for the full implementation of the Federal High Court ruling mandating 35% affirmative action for women in government appointments.
The organisation described women’s political inclusion since 1999 as slow and uneven despite years of advocacy and judicial pronouncements.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, the programme officer of the organization and strong advocate for women’s political inclusion, Zainab Tanko, said while Nigeria’s democratic journey had created some room for women’s participation, actual representation in both elective and appointive positions remained far below acceptable standards.
Zainab said, “This journey reflects both the resilience of Nigerian women and the urgent need for structured, systemic reforms to ensure inclusion becomes measurable and meaningful.”
In April 2022, the Federal High Court ruled in favour of enforcing the National Gender Policy, which recommends a minimum of 35% representation of women in all government positions. However, the judgement remains largely unimplemented. In this vein, Zainab stressed that civil society organisations must sustain pressure to ensure compliance.
According to her, NWTF is currently deploying constructive engagement with government institutions, coalition-building, legal action when necessary, and widespread public education on the legal and constitutional implications of the judgment.
On the role of the legal system, NWTF stressed that enforcement of court orders must become a priority. The group urged the judiciary and legal community to support interpretation, follow-up litigation, and monitor compliance to ensure the 35% affirmative action ruling does not remain a paper victory.
While acknowledging the recent symbolic commitments such as the Senate’s recent pledge during International Women’s Day to uphold 35% affirmative action, she said this must translate into real policies and measurable outcomes. “Symbolic gestures are important, but they are not enough,” she said, “We must build consistent advocacy, engage political actors directly, and sustain media partnerships to ensure promises lead to tangible change.”
She called for binding timelines, adequate budgeting, and mechanisms for accountability. “This is not just about women; it is about the health of our democracy,” she said, “A representative system cannot ignore half of its population.”
She highlighted the disappointing outcome of the 2023 general elections, which saw a decline in the number of women elected into political offices. According to her, this reinforces the need to remove long-standing structural barriers including political violence, financing gaps, and gatekeeping within party structures.
According to her, NWTF will continue to elevate the conversation using evidence-based data and targeted engagement with stakeholders to push for institutional reform.
The group also advocated for constitutional amendments to reserve special seats for women in the National Assembly and stressed the importance of extending affirmative action policies to local government levels. “Affirmative action must be visible not only at the federal and state levels but also at the grassroots, where policies directly affect communities,” Zainab said. “We need inclusive budgeting, community leadership roles for women, and gender quotas in local political structures.”
Zainab called on government at all levels to demonstrate political will, saying, “The time for voluntary compliance has passed The implementation of this judgement is not optional; it is a constitutional obligation and a litmus test for Nigeria’s democratic maturity.”
