By Danjuma Amodu
ABUJA – West African leaders have launched an ambitious regional push to break decades of women’s political exclusion, with Nigeria pledging far-reaching reforms and ECOWAS setting a 2035 deadline to achieve gender parity in political leadership across the sub-region.
The commitment emerged at the Forum on Women’s Political Leadership in West Africa held in Abuja, where political leaders, parliamentarians, ministers, electoral bodies, civil society organisations, development partners and women’s groups adopted a common resolve to dismantle legal, financial and institutional barriers that have continued to keep women on the margins of governance.
Addressing participants, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, declared that increasing women’s participation in politics was no longer merely a matter of fairness but a strategic necessity for national development, economic growth and stronger democratic institutions.
She said the forum was convened to transform years of promises into concrete action through the proposed Abuja Action Agenda, which seeks to accelerate the ECOWAS 2035 Gender Parity Agenda, unlock sustainable financing for female political aspirants, eliminate violence against women in politics, strengthen women’s participation in democratic transitions, deepen regional solidarity and establish robust accountability mechanisms to measure progress.
According to her, Nigeria’s commitment extends beyond declarations, noting that the Federal Government is already implementing its Third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security while reforming leadership academies across the country’s six geopolitical zones to prepare more women for leadership roles.
She stressed that inclusive development would remain unattainable as long as women continued to be excluded from decisions shaping public investment, governance, peacebuilding and social protection.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim also disclosed that the controversial Special Reserved Seats Bill for women was undergoing a comprehensive review to make it more suitable for Nigeria’s political realities.
She revealed that fresh proposals, including the possibility of establishing an electoral college mechanism, were being examined as part of efforts to create a workable framework capable of dramatically increasing women’s representation in elective offices.
“We are still trying to find what instrument is fit for Nigeria so that we can give our system the necessary shock it requires to admit many more women while we continue to compete on a level playing field.”
— Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs
The minister said President Bola Tinubu’s administration was determined to align Nigeria’s domestic reforms with regional commitments while preparing to host an International Family Summit later this year as part of a decade-long investment in strengthening African families.
On her part, the ECOWAS Commission Vice President, Damtien Tchintchibidja, warned that the success of the regional agenda would depend on implementation rather than declarations.
She disclosed that following the recent adoption of the Freetown Declaration by the Authority of Heads of State and Government, the regional bloc would work with member states to domesticate the commitments through legislative reforms, dedicated national budgets, structured peer-review mechanisms and stronger partnerships with development agencies, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The regional body also pledged to monitor member states’ progress towards achieving gender parity by 2035 through regular reporting and accountability frameworks.
Sharing practical experiences, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Hon. Isata Mahoi, showcased what many participants described as one of West Africa’s most successful affirmative action models.
She disclosed that women now occupy 30 per cent of parliamentary seats following the enactment of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act, backed by electoral laws requiring political parties to nominate at least one woman among every three candidates.
The minister also cited expanded land ownership rights for women, cross-party collaboration among female politicians, leadership mentorship programmes and scholarships for girls pursuing science and technology as key drivers of its success.
Liberia’s Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Gbeme Horace-Kollie, argued that financial exclusion remains one of the biggest obstacles confronting women seeking elective office.
She proposed sweeping electoral reforms, including legislation compelling political parties to reserve campaign funds for women, reducing nomination fees for female candidates, creating dedicated credit facilities through the banking sector and establishing long-term financial support mechanisms to cushion the enormous cost of electioneering.
Perhaps the strongest appeal came from Senator Dr. Chantal Moussokoura Fanny of Côte d’Ivoire, who cautioned against celebrating declarations without corresponding political will.
While welcoming the endorsement of the regional framework, she lamented that many countries were still struggling to attain even the minimum 30 per cent representation target for women.
She argued that implementation should not be left solely to ministries responsible for gender affairs but must involve ministries of justice, finance and other strategic institutions capable of translating commitments into enforceable laws and sustainable public policies.
The Ivorian senator also challenged established female leaders across Africa to embrace mentorship as a responsibility rather than an act of charity, insisting that the next generation of women leaders must be deliberately nurtured if the continent is to achieve genuine political transformation.
The Abuja forum concluded with renewed calls for governments, political parties, electoral management bodies and development partners to move beyond rhetoric by dismantling entrenched barriers to women’s political participation, amid growing optimism that coordinated regional action could finally reverse decades of gender imbalance in governance across West Africa.
