2027: Centre Trains Female Politicians, Raises Alarm Over Women’s Political Marginalisation

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) has trained female politicians on political leadership, strategy and collective action, while raising concerns over the persistent marginalisation of women in Nigeria’s political space.

The organisation said Nigerian women remain grossly underrepresented in political leadership, citing discriminatory political structures, unequal access to campaign financing, political violence, harmful social norms and exclusion from influential political networks as some of the major obstacles limiting their participation and influence in governance.

Speaking at an intersectional women’s leadership and governance incubator training in Abuja on Thursday, the founding executive director of Centre LSD, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, said Nigeria must move beyond encouraging women to participate in politics to deliberately dismantling the structures and institutional practices that prevent them from exercising power and influence.

The training, organised under the Centre’s 24-month Women Can Lead Project, is designed to strengthen women’s leadership, political participation and influence in governance and decision-making.

Igbuzor stressed that women must move beyond political participation to exercising meaningful influence over decisions and governance outcomes.

According to him, attending political meetings or occupying symbolic positions is not enough; women must be positioned to influence party decisions, candidate selection, policy formulation, resource allocation and governance processes.

He also emphasised the need for collective action, urging women to build stronger networks, alliances and mentoring relationships while supporting one another across political, generational and social divides.

“Women must move from individual ambition to collective power. Political success requires solidarity, networks, alliances, mentoring and mutual support. Women must support one another across political, generational and social divides while building strategic alliances with men who are committed to gender equality,” he said.

The Centre LSD director further challenged participants to translate the knowledge acquired during the training into practical political achievements, stressing that the programme’s success should be measured by the opportunities women secure and the decisions they influence.

“Third, women must move from training to action. The success of this incubator will not be measured by the number of certificates issued but by the number of women who become more politically effective, secure leadership opportunities, influence decisions and ultimately win elective positions,” he added.

On why women should occupy leadership positions, Igbuzor maintained that leadership is determined by capacity, competence, character and vision rather than gender.

He noted that women constitute approximately half of the population, bring valuable experiences and perspectives to governance and have demonstrated their leadership capabilities in Nigeria and across the world.

He argued that inclusive leadership strengthens governance and development, making women’s meaningful representation in political decision-making essential.

“Yet, despite these realities, Nigerian women remain grossly underrepresented in political leadership. They face discriminatory political structures, unequal access to campaign financing, political violence, harmful social norms and limited access to influential political networks.

“We must therefore move beyond merely encouraging women to participate. We must deliberately transform the political structures, institutions and practices that prevent women from exercising power and influence,” he said.

In her keynote address, the president of Women in Politics, Barrister Ebere Ifendu, identified gender-based violence (GBV) as a major weapon used to discourage and undermine women’s participation in politics.

Ifendu, who was represented at the event by Ms Charity Anaja, said women who venture into politics are exposed to different forms of violence, including physical, psychological, sexual, economic and increasingly digital abuse.

She cited intimidation and physical attacks during party primaries, rallies, campaign activities and elections, sometimes perpetrated by hired thugs and individuals within political parties.

Other forms of violence against women in politics, she noted, include sexual harassment and coercion, character assassination, online abuse, economic exclusion, threats against family members and institutional discrimination.

She particularly condemned situations where women are subjected to attacks on their morality, marriages, dressing and families instead of having their political ideas and records scrutinised.

Ifendu also highlighted the denial of campaign funds and exclusion from informal political networks where critical decisions and alliances are formed as forms of economic violence against female politicians.

She further noted that women are often marginalised within party structures, excluded from committee leadership positions and overlooked in legislative activities.

Speaking on the objectives of the training, acting director of Development at Centre LSD and Project Lead of the Women Can Lead Project, Pastor Prais Enang said the programme was designed to equip female politicians with the knowledge and practical skills needed to navigate political systems, build collective influence and advance their leadership aspirations.

She explained that the initiative would deepen participants’ understanding of political processes while strengthening their capacities in negotiation, advocacy, public speaking, political strategy and collective action.

According to her , the intervention also seeks to address persistent obstacles to women’s meaningful participation in politics and governance, particularly restrictive political party structures, limited access to influential networks and inadequate strategic support.

Enang disclosed that the training would feature expert-led sessions on negotiation and advocacy, focusing on practical approaches to influencing political decisions and advancing women’s interests.
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In her goodwill message, the chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, said women had demonstrated their capabilities across various sectors, including public service, business, law, banking, education, community development and politics.

She, however, questioned whether Nigeria was creating the institutional, political and social conditions necessary for women to participate meaningfully, compete fairly and exercise leadership.

Ogbara observed that women’s representation in elective and appointive positions remained low and did not reflect their numerical strength or translate into adequate political influence.

She attributed the imbalance to persistent structural, cultural, economic and institutional barriers that continue to restrict women’s access to political opportunities.

The Centre LSD’s intervention comes as political activities gradually build towards the 2027 general elections, with renewed calls for greater inclusion of women in party leadership, candidate selection and governance.