Celebrated every March 8, International Women’s Day (IWD) marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality, calling for positive change, and celebrating women’s achievement. The 2024 theme’s “inspire inclusion” aims to forge a more inclusive world for women, according to the United Nations (UN).
In Nigeria, despite the constitutional provision of 35 percent affirmative action for women in public offices, the country’s reality is far from the ideal. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the country ranks 181 out of 193 in terms of women’s representation in parliament, with only 4.5 percent of the seats occupied by women as of October 2023.
The situation is slightly better in the executive branch, even though the representation is still negligible. Out of the 43 ministers appointed by President Bola Tinubu in August 2023, only seven were women, representing 16.28 percent of the cabinet. This was an improvement from the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, which had six women out of 44 ministers, representing 13.64 percent.
However, some women who attained the enviable heights in governance have been enmeshed in scandals, controversies, and criminal allegations that have tarnished their reputations and undermined their credibility.
One of the most recent cases is that of Dr. Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. Edu was suspended by President Bola Tinubu in January 2024 over her indictment in an alleged N585 million fraud. She was accused of paying the money into a private account, instead of the official account of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which is under her supervision. She was also alleged to have mismanaged the funds meant for the social intervention programmes of the government, such as the N-Power, the Conditional Cash Transfer, and the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.
Edu was the youngest and first female minister from Cross River State who had a meteoric rise in politics. She was the national women leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the commissioner for health in Cross River State, and the national chairman of the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum. She was also a recipient of several awards and recognitions for her contributions to the health sector and women’s empowerment. However, her fall from grace was equally swift and dramatic, as she became the poster girl of corruption in Nigeria.
From 2010 to 2015, Diezani Alison-Madueke was a Minister of Petroleum Resources under President Goodluck Jonathan. However, she was accused of embezzling billions of dollars from the oil sector, awarding dubious contracts, and laundering money through various schemes. She was also alleged to have influenced the outcome of the 2015 general elections by bribing officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with N23 billion.
Alison-Madueke, who was the first woman to head the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), fled to the United Kingdom after the 2015 elections and has been evading prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ever since. She has also been facing legal battles in the UK, the US, and other countries over the recovery of her assets and the forfeiture of her properties.
Kemi Adeosun served as the Minister of Finance from 2015 to 2018 under President Buhari. However, she resigned from her position after it was revealed that she had forged her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificate, which is a mandatory requirement for public office holders in Nigeria. She was also accused of mismanaging the economy, increasing the debt burden, and failing to implement the fiscal policies of the government.
Adeosun, who was born and raised in the UK, had a successful career as an accountant and financial consultant before joining politics. She was the commissioner for finance in Ogun State from 2011 to 2015, where she was commended for improving the state’s revenue generation and financial management. However, her reputation was damaged by the certificate scandal, which forced her to leave the country and return to the UK.
Another female politician, Stella Oduah, served as the Minister of Aviation from 2011 to 2014 under President Jonathan. However, she was removed from her position after she allegedly purchased two bulletproof cars worth N255 million without following due process.
Oduah, who was a former executive director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and a former president of the Sea Petroleum and Gas Company, had claimed that she had improved the aviation sector by renovating the airports, enhancing the safety standards, and creating jobs.
However, her achievements were overshadowed by the car scandal, which sparked public outrage and calls for her resignation.
Despite these challenges, there are remarkable examples of women who have excelled in ministerial positions.
Amina Mohammed is one example; she served as the Minister of Environment from 2015 to 2016 under President Buhari. She played a key role in implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change, leading the Ogoni land cleanup initiative and championing the Great Green Wall project. Her advocacy for the rights of women and girls, particularly in education, health, and sanitation, has been widely recognized. Presently, she serves as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group.
The Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala also excelled as Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy from 2011 to 2015 under President Jonathan. Responsible for navigating the economy during a period of high oil prices, fiscal consolidation, and macroeconomic stability, Okonjo-Iweala initiated critical reforms in the public sector, including the implementation of the Treasury Single Account, the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, and the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System. Currently, Okonjo-Iweala chairs the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Worthy of note is Obiageli Ezekwesili, former Minister of Solid Minerals from 2005 to 2006 and the Minister of Education from 2006 to 2007 under President Obasanjo. She was credited with reviving the mining sector, increasing transparency and accountability, and improving the quality and access of education. She also championed the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and the Due Process Unit in the federal government. She is currently a senior economic advisor at the Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative and a co-founder of the Bring Back Our Girls movement.
Despite the enormous contributions of these women, Nigeria still has a long way to go in achieving gender parity and inclusion in public offices. The low number and percentage of women ministers, as well as the cases of corruption and controversy involving some of them, reflect the structural and cultural barriers that women face in the political arena. These include patriarchy, sexism, violence, discrimination, lack of education, and lack of resources
Like men, women who aspire to public office must serve the public interest and not their personal interest. They have a role and a potential to inspire and empower other women and girls to aspire and achieve their dreams and goals. They have a challenge and a chance to transform and improve the political and governance system and culture plagued by corruption, mismanagement, and underdevelopment.