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Constitution Review: Women Empowerment Necessary, Strategic For Economic Growth – Speaker Abbas

Published

1 day ago

October 28, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

…as First Lady say Nigerian women struggling to find their place in governance, politics

By Gloria Ikibah

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, has said that the demand for increased representation of women is not a luxury but a necessity.

The Speaker stated this while giving his keynote address at the International Legislative Dialogue on Women and the Constitution Amendment Process in Nigeria, which was organised by the House Committee on Constitution Review with support from the Policy and Legal Advocacy Center (PLAC) and funded by the European Union in Abuja on Monday.

Abbas who urged everyone to dismantle institutional barriers, stressed the need to empower women, noting that it is a necessary, and strategic move for economic growth.

According to him, it is disheartening that females are low in numbers at the National Assembly, even as he noted that the dialogue was not for rhetoric but to establish a clear and actionable path toward meaningful reform.

He said: “Today represents a meaningful step forward in our collective commitment to inclusive governance and national progress.

“Our goal is to ensure that Nigerian women, an essential part of our nation’s social and economic fabric, secure their rightful place within our governance framework. Empowering women is not only a moral and democratic imperative but also a strategic economic necessity.”

The Speaker said that researches from global institutions, like the United Nations, World Economic Forum, reveals that organisations and countries benefit from better decision-making, stronger economic growth, and enhanced social well-being when women hold leadership roles.

“Women bring unique perspectives influencing vital issues, from healthcare to economic policy, creating legislation that resonates with millions. McKinsey estimates that closing gender gaps could add $12 trillion to the global GDP by 2025, underscoring the immense untapped potential of women’s inclusion. Thus, increased representation of women is not a luxury but a necessity for sustainable national development and stability.

“Around the world, and particularly in Africa, we see encouraging examples of gender inclusion. Rwanda, with over 60 percent women representation in its parliament, has shown us that robust, intentional policies work. South Africa, Namibia, and Senegal have all taken significant strides toward inclusivity, reshaping their political landscapes in ways Nigeria can learn from. These countries have demonstrated the profound impact of women’s perspectives on governance and development.

“For Nigeria, the current numbers are disheartening. Since 1999, women’s representation in our National Assembly has remained disappointingly low. Despite notable contributions from Nigerian women across various sectors, only 20 of the 469 seats in our National Assembly are occupied by women. This stark gap speaks not of a lack of capable women, but of institutional barriers we must dismantle.”

He emphasised that some see increased women’s representation as a threat to the status quo, and noted that “inclusion is not displacement—it is partnership.”

Abbas added that the presence of women complements the contributions of men, enriching the policymaking process.

“If we trust women to shape our homes, nurture our families, and educate our children, we must trust them to contribute to shaping our nation’s future,” he stressed.

He pointing out that affirmative action policies to increase women’s representation are not undemocratic, on the contrary are deeply aligned with democratic principles.

“As lawmakers, we are responsible for advancing policies that reflect the values of fairness and equity. I am proud to state that this 10th House has prioritised inclusivity in our Legislative Agenda. I have directed the Constitution Review Committee to focus on reforms that promote gender equity and provide additional or reserved seats for women in our legislative bodies.

“We must work towards joint ticketing in elections, reserved seats, and conferring equal citizenship rights to foreigners married to Nigerian women. However, reform is a collective responsibility, and we cannot simply issue communiqués or promises. We must translate today’s dialogue into real, actionable outcomes.”

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu in her remarks decried that, Nigerian women are still battling to get their place in politics and governance as a result of sustained policies that put them at a disadvantage.

Senator Tinubu who was represented by First Lady of Kwara State, Prof. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, who is also the Chairperson, Nigeria Governors Spouses Forum, said, while some gains have been made, it was however disheartening that, in the National Assembly only few women were elected into its two chambers.

She lamented that, while women contribute a lot in the electoral process, their participation is being curtailed as they are denied equal participation in governance and politics.

According to her, progress has been slow in having sustainable process that fast track women participation through robust, wider policies for the girl child and educated, intelligent and potential women leaders in the country.

The First Lady said, there are many things that Nigeria needs to work on especially some socio-cultural inhibitions limiting national growth through women exclusion.

She therefore noted that, there is need for more to gender responsive policies and legislations that will encourage women participation and affirmative initiatives.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Deputy Speaker and Chairman, House Committee on Constitution Amendment, Benjamin Kalu said that, as Nigeria confront the realities that restrict women’s political participation, it is essential to understand the scale and urgency of the issue.

He said, “Data from the recent 2023 general elections highlights the scope of this challenge: 18 political parties fielded a staggering 15,307 candidates.

“However, of these candidates, only 1,552 were women. This sharp contrast is not just a statistic; it is a stark reminder of the societal, structural, and political barriers that continue to inhibit women’s full participation in our democracy.

“Indeed, inclusive governance is not merely an equity issue; it is a strategic imperative. Countries that have successfully integrated women into decision-making roles experience gains in innovation, collaboration across sectors, and, notably, economic growth”.

News

Senator Manu hosts Taraba Queens and Kings in NASS (Photos)

Published

1 hour ago

October 29, 2024

Austin Ojomah

The Senator representing Taraba Central, Manu Haruna on Tuesday hosted Taraba Queens and Kings in his office at the National Assembly Complex on Tuesday.

Miss Taraba Queen Grace Sunday, the 7th titleholder, and Miss Taraba Queen Comfort Williams, the 10th titleholder, led the newly crowned state kings and queens in paying a courtesy visit to the former Deputy Governor of Taraba State.

Grace Sunday on behalf of the team expressed their appreciation for the Senator’s support and dedication to youth empowerment and community development within the Taraba Central and Taraba at large.

Senator Haruna hailed their achievements and encouraged them to continue serving as positive role models for the youth of Taraba State.

See photos below:

News

Kemi Ayelabola Sustains Tempo On Gender Equality For Women, Salutes Efforts Of Hon. Ogbara, House Leadership

Published

2 hours ago

October 29, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Chairperson and Convener of Asiwaju Renewed Hope (ARH’23), Kemi Olokode-Ayelabola has added her voice to the call for gender equality for women, describing it as a moral imperative, as well as a key driver of sustainable development and social progress.

Kemi, a behavioral, developmental and child/young persons care professional currently based in the Republic of Ireland also commended the leadership of the House of Representatives, especially the Speaker, Rt Hon. Tajudeen Abbas (CFR) and the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu (CON) for their deliberate efforts to involve more women in critical decision-making, particularly in elective offices across the various tiers of government.

She further applauded the House leadership for the genuine commitment they exhibited at the international legislative dialogue on women and the constitutional amendment process in Nigeria, recently organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review.

Similarly, Kemi equally gave kudos to the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara for her immense contributions in making a case for the women folks towards societal cohesion, gender parity, political participation/leadership so as to engender national development.

Olokode-Ayelabola stated this in a statement she made available to the media on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 noting that there was urgent need for collaboration and collective action by all stakeholders in tackling legal, social, religious and cultural vices and other societal challenges, that serve as impediments to women’s participation and empowerment in every strata of life.

“I must commend Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, the Chairman House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, for revisiting all the gender-based legislations of the 9th Assembly on women’s participation in politics and other sectorial matters and this is essentially crucial to building a stable and peaceful society and developing policies that respond to the specific needs of women while also creating a place of pride and dignity for them in the society through right legal and legislative frameworks.

“There is, therefore, an urgent need for the women to be adequately represented in political and economic decision-making at every level,” she said.

Continuing, “As Nigeria strives for gender equality, women’s participation in political leadership remains a critical focal point. Sadly women face pitiable challenges in the political arena, therefore necessitating tailored approaches to enhance their opportunities and ensure protection from discrimination must never be compromised.

“I once appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in March this year to step up the full implementation of 35% affirmative action of women in public governance and leadership; I have not backed out from this laudable advocacy and thankfully we have a compassionate and listening President who is already taking meaningful decisions in that direction and we must applaud His Excellency for that.

“We must however redouble our efforts to support women in decision-making roles, enabling them to effectively advocate for legislation and policies that advance the interests of women and girls. In alignment with these efforts, there should be legislative and constitutional reforms to ensure women’s equitable access to political spheres as voters, candidates, elected officials, political appointees and civil service executives as the case may be,” Olokode-Ayelabola stated.

News

Reps Query Works Ministry Over N1.46bn Abandoned Road Project

Published

3 hours ago

October 29, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has quizzed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works, Dr Yakubu Adam, over the abandoned Gidanwaya-Guaran Dutse-Waman Rafi-Saminaka-Kano road project of which payment had been made in full to the sum of N1.46 billion.

This was the resolution of the Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday at it’s resumed investigation when the Permanent Secretary appeared before it, after failing failing to honour it’s for two consecutive time over the matter.

The Committee chairman, Rep Bamidele Salam, stated that the money for the project was a loan by the Federal Government.

Salam said: “You were invited concerning an exercise that is about to commence which is the inspection of critical national assets especially roads that were constructed in the last five years.

“Information we received from the debt management office indicated the number of roads were even undertaken with loans taken by the federal government. But in particular, a particular road with the title Gidanwaya-Guaran Dutse-Waman Rafi-Saminaka-Kano road in Kaduna State awarded by the Federal Ministry of Works on the 5th of October 2022 and the sum of N1.461 billion to Messrs Jam Jam Dynamic Platform Limited.

“This road was supposed to be completed within 12 months. There’s an allegation that the road awarded in 2022 has not been started as we speak and there has been full payment of the sum by the Federal Ministry of Works to the contractor concerned.

“As a committee of equity, we believe strongly that we must give all parties fair hearing. You should provide information on the status of the road. We asked for certain documents to be provided and we expect that you would provide us with better insight so the committee can take a decision on the best way to ascertain the truthfulness of the claim that road has been done, while full payment has been effected to the contractor.”

In response, the Permanent Secretary said the amount was not for the entire stretch which is about 133km but a portion of the road.

According to him, the road was done in phases due to paucity of funds. He expressed surprise that the road had not been done.

Adam apologised for not honouring previous invitations, as be said he didn’t receive any.

The Committee ordered that the PS must come back on Monday and also directed him to submit all relevant documents related to the project by Friday, enable the members study the submission for a proper probe of the matter.