By Palma Ileye
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, (FMWASD) Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has urged Nigerian women to unite, build political structures and negotiate collectively if they are to significantly increase their representation in elective offices ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim made the call on Thursday at the third edition of the Women Candidates’ Summit 2026, organised by the Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation (VOWEF) in Abuja.
The summit, themed “2027: From Primaries to Power,” brought together women candidates who secured party tickets for the 2027 elections, development partners, political leaders, civil society organisations and members of the diplomatic community to discuss strategies for improving women’s electoral success.
Delivering the keynote address, she described the low representation of women in governance as both a democratic deficit and an economic challenge, noting that women currently occupy less than four per cent of elective positions in Nigeria.
She said only four women serve in the Senate, while 17 women are members of the House of Representatives, adding that 15 state Houses of Assembly currently have no female lawmakers.
According to the Minister, no nation can achieve sustainable development while excluding half of its population from leadership and decision-making.
“A democracy that governs with only half of its talent is fundamentally underperforming. Women’s representation is not charity; it is an economic necessity because women bring unique perspectives and solutions to governance,” she said.
To address the imbalance, Sulaiman-Ibrahim disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development is reviving six Women’s Political Empowerment Centres established in 2005 to serve as political academies where aspiring and emerging female leaders will receive training in campaign management, public speaking, election monitoring, political education and leadership.
She also announced plans to strengthen mentorship programmes through the National Resource Centres for Women in Politics to prepare more women for elective and appointive positions.
The Women Minister further revealed that the ministry’s Power of 10 Million Women Movement, spread across Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas and 8,809 electoral wards, is designed to mobilise women into a coordinated voting bloc capable of influencing electoral outcomes.
She stressed that women must move beyond emotional appeals and embrace strategic political engagement.
“Politics is negotiation. Nobody hands over political offices because you are a woman. Women must organise, negotiate and vote together if they truly want greater representation,” she said.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim also referenced the recent West African Women’s Political Leadership Forum held in Abuja, where regional stakeholders adopted the Abuja Regional Action Agenda aimed at achieving gender parity in political representation across West Africa by 2035.
Earlier, VOWEF Convener and Chief Executive Officer of WFM 91.7, Toun Okewale Sonaiya, said this year’s summit was designed exclusively for women candidates, marking a departure from previous editions that focused on women aspirants.
She explained that the objective was to ensure that support for women in politics extends beyond party primaries until they are successfully elected.
Sonaiya identified inadequate campaign financing, political marginalisation, online abuse, gender-based disinformation, poor visibility and unequal access to party structures as some of the major obstacles confronting women candidates.
