By George Ozalla
BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, a flagship non-governmental organisation driving continuous key initiatives on women’s active engagement and participation in politics/leadership roles, as well as women’s human rights in partnership with National Democratic Institute NDI- further collaborating with seasoned expert volunteers has inaugurated a Co-ordinating Group CG with the sole aim of actualizing a national action plan for increased women active engagement and participation in politics and leadership cutting across local, sub-national and national levels.
During the inauguration of the 16 member Co-ordinating Group in Abuja Tuesday, by the Executive Director of BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, Yeye Dipo-Salami, after her welcome remark, and few goodwill messages from key partners delivered by Mr Francis Madugu, Deputy Country Director of National Democratic Institute NDI as well as representative of UN women; outlined major roles expected of the Co-ordinating Group CG to achieve during its two year project implementation plan tagged “Supporting Her Empowerment: Political Engagement, Rights, Safety, and Inclusion Strategies to Succeed” (SHE PERSISTS) Nigeria Project.
Dipo-Salami lamented a seemingly steady decline in women occupation of elective political positions in Nigeria which unfortunately stood at less than 4% as at 2024, whereas some other African countries have gone far ahead of Nigeria in terms of liberal and effective operational legal and constitutional framework that enables increased women active participation in politics; resulting in appreciable increase in number of elective positions being occupied by women.
She added that women are known for innate gift for multiplication impact, noting that their significant effective contributions to economic growth of any nation brings about prosperity and better management of resources and therefore appealed for mindset change and co-operation of major stakeholders especially lawmakers, stressing that possible amendment of relevant extant legal and constitutional framework to create an enabling and well expanded conducive platform to accommodate more women in the political space will be very productive.
In her detailed graphic presentation of the project overview, Ms Anne Lawal, Program Director of BAOBAB stated that there may be obvious numerous underlying challenges and hindrances limiting increased women participation in politics, but stated that they are not insurmountable.
The project is primarily targeted at promoting and improving women’s political participation and leadership at all levels in Nigeria.
The two year project implementation strategy has members of the Co-ordinating Group GG as follows: Hon. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, Mrs Mary Ikoku, Mrs Lois Auta, Ms Adesuwa Onyenokwe, Hon. Irene M. Awunah-Ikyegh, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, Chief Anthony O. Ojukwu, Ms Patience Ekeoba, Yeye Bunmi Dipo-Salami, Hon Hadiza Abdulwahab, Dr. Felicia Onibon, Engr. (Dr.) Janet Adeyemi, Chief (Mrs) Ronke Okusanya, Hon. Nwogboda Chinyere, Ms Eqy Anazonwu and Amara Nwakpa.
It is expected that the project will connect and strengthen critical state actors, particularly those focused on gender equality and women’s political participation and leadership: political institutions, including but not limited to political parties: democratic processes; and serving and past elected/appointed female politicians, including young women in political parties across the country.
Some of the highlights of the event were detailed introduction of members of the co-ordinating group both physically and virtually and group photographs.
