𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐀𝐢𝐝

By Peter Dansu  Women must be given greater opportunities to occupy leadership and decision-making positions if Nigeria is to achieve meanin...

By Peter Dansu 

Women must be given greater opportunities to occupy leadership and decision-making positions if Nigeria is to achieve meaningful and sustainable development, ActionAid Nigeria has said.

This was the central message at a women's empowerment workshop organised by ActionAid Nigeria in collaboration with Olorunda Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and HUFFPED at the Iworo Secretariat in Olorunda LCDA, Badagry.

Speaking at the event, women's rights advocate and ActionAid Nigeria specialist, Mrs. Niri Goyit, argued that the country's slow pace of development is largely linked to the persistent exclusion of women from leadership.

Addressing participants drawn from Badagry Local Government, Olorunda LCDA, Badagry West LCDA and Ojo Local Government, Goyit maintained that many of Nigeria's lingering challenges, including insecurity, unemployment, poor infrastructure and economic hardship, could be better addressed through inclusive leadership that gives women equal opportunities to contribute.

She stressed that leadership should begin at home, extend to communities and organisations, and ultimately be reflected at the national level.

According to her, women have consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership abilities whenever given the opportunity. She cited the late former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Dora Akunyili, whose reforms transformed the agency. She also highlighted the achievements of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and other accomplished Nigerian women who have distinguished themselves in leadership positions.

Goyit lamented that major decisions affecting women are often made predominantly by men, describing the situation as unfair and counterproductive.

She questioned how men could adequately understand and address issues unique to women without their lived experiences, insisting that women deserve equal representation in policy formulation and governance.

She called on women to become more actively involved in politics, governance and community leadership, urging them to challenge existing barriers and take up leadership responsibilities.

"Women are nation builders and should never be relegated to the background in matters of leadership," she said.

Earlier in his welcome address, the workshop facilitator, Mr. Adebowale Keinde, appreciated participants for attending and highlighted ActionAid Nigeria's commitment to improving the lives of women, particularly those in rural communities.

The interactive workshop featured participants from two Local Governments and two Local Council Development Areas. Participants were drawn from the communities of Pashi, Akoko, Wesere and Aivoji in Badagry West LCDA; Iragbo in Badagry Local Government; Ojogun in Olorunda LCDA; and Taffi and Irewe in Ojo Local Government, alongside representatives of their respective council chairpersons.

The Deputy Leader of Olorunda LCDA, Hon. Itunuoluwa Ambe Alice, represented the Chairperson of the council, Mrs. Folashade Ajose. Miss Ayo Apede represented the Chairperson of Badagry Local Government, Mrs. Elizabeth Oluwatoyin Hunpe, while the Supervisor for Women Affairs represented the Chairperson of Badagry West LCDA, Mrs. Mariam Ibrahim Kayode.

During one of the sessions, Keinde asked the council representatives to outline women-focused programmes implemented in their respective councils and explain how beneficiaries were selected.

Although the representatives highlighted several empowerment initiatives undertaken by their councils, many participants disclosed that they had never benefited from the programmes.

Keinde attributed the gap to poor dissemination of information, especially in rural communities, and urged the council representatives to relay the concerns to their chairpersons.

He stressed that women living in rural areas should not be excluded from government interventions due to inadequate access to information, calling for improved communication strategies to ensure greater participation in future programmes.

Speaking during the interactive session, Hon. Itunuoluwa Ambe Alice commended ActionAid Nigeria, HUFFPED and Olorunda LCDA for organising what she described as a timely and impactful programme.

She said the Chairperson of Olorunda LCDA, Mrs. Folashade Ajose, remains deeply committed to women's empowerment and has championed several initiatives aimed at improving the welfare and economic well-being of women across the council.

Ambe assured participants that she would brief the chairperson on the outcome of the workshop and expressed confidence that the council would welcome similar programmes in the future.

She also appealed to ActionAid Nigeria to sustain its partnership with Olorunda LCDA by organising more educational and empowerment programmes to strengthen women's participation in leadership and community development.

As part of efforts to sustain women's leadership and participation in decision-making, ActionAid presented a resource toolkit to each participating council through its Department of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. The toolkit is expected to support engagement with the council chairpersons for possible adoption and implementation of strategies that promote women's inclusion in leadership and governance.