Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has emphasized the importance of women learning to obtain power during the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association’s Spotlight Initiative in Abuja.
The event, themed “Re-thinking Women’s Proportional Representation in Governance,” highlighted the need for increased female participation in politics.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has made progress in promoting women’s representation, yet cultural and social barriers remain.
”These barriers include entrenched societal norms, systemic discriminatory practices, structural issues within political systems, and financial challenges”.
To address these issues, Tinubu pointed out the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s initiative to eliminate financial barriers by making nomination forms for elective positions free at the grassroots level.”This step ensures that capable and qualified women can participate in the political process without prohibitive costs”
She also commended the Federal House of Representatives for passing a bill that allocates 74 seats to women in the National Assembly, aiming to boost female participation in politics.
“I believe that the leadership in the Senate is gender-friendly,” Tinubu remarked, reiterating her husband’s view that power must be actively pursued and emphasizing the need for mentorship from older women.
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu
Education, according to the First Lady, is crucial for empowerment. ”By improving access to education for girls and women, they can gain the knowledge and skills necessary for effective political participation. Public campaigns, media engagement, and community programs can further help shift societal attitudes and dismantle stereotypes that hinder women’s political involvement”.
The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Rt. Hon. Hadija Memounatou Ibrahimah of Togo, praised the First Lady’s contributions to women’s issues and urged her to champion better representation for women in governance across the region.
Ibrahimah highlighted the significant underrepresentation of women, noting that only 17% of parliamentarians and 24% of ministers in ECOWAS member states are women.
Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio, represented by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, affirmed the Senate’s commitment to prioritizing women’s participation in governance, stating, “We will redefine the power of women in governance.”
Following the session, Senator Oluremi Tinubu visited the newly renovated Red Chamber, where she commended the Senate’s leadership.
The First Lady, a three-term Senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District until 2023, reflected on her tenure with pride.
BELLO WAKILI
