Every year on International Women’s Day (IWD), Nigerian government officials and politicians release statements celebrating the progress made in empowering women. They praise women’s achievements and commit to creating a society of equal opportunities. Despite these numerous promises, the federal government has yet to implement 35% affirmative action for appointive positions, three years after a federal high court ordered its implementation.
The historic judgment was preceded by a robust campaign led by the Nigerian Women Trust Fund and other stakeholders, but to this day, Nigerian women are still awaiting implementation. Instead, various governments, including the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, continue to pay lip service.
On March 8, 2025, as Nigeria celebrated International Women’s Day, politicians and government agencies issued glowing press statements touting their commitment to gender equality. President Tinubu himself lauded women as the “bedrock of our nation, driving progress from our homes to our farms, boardrooms, and communities.” Just like his predecessors, President Tinubu claimed that his “administration is committed to our Renewed Hope pledge to dismantle obstacles, expand access to finance, and ensure equitable opportunities in governance, agriculture, and every sector.”
Similarly, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, who often uses her platform to champion women’s rights, encouraged women to “lift each other up, one woman at a time.” However, her message remained broad, avoiding any substantive acknowledgment of the government’s failure to implement a policy that would provide concrete opportunities for women’s political participation.
Unfortunately, statements like these from government officials and politicians further expose the lack of political will, laced with empty promises, that has kept Nigerian women waiting. Zainab Abdulrasheed, a gender inclusion advocate, also revealed that the Nigerian Women Trust Fund and other civil society groups have engaged the federal government on the need to implement this judgment. She said, “Despite the government’s consistent commitment to an inclusive society for Nigerians, it is disheartening to see that women are still nowhere to be found when it comes to political inclusion.”
She fears that the government’s body language and political will do not portray positive signs of achieving 35% affirmative action in federal government appointive positions. “We call on the current government to ensure that 35% affirmative action becomes the order of the day,” she stated. “Especially considering that the National Gender Policy, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in 2022, provides for 50% women representation as the global best practice.”
Reacting to the delay and unwillingness to implement the court judgment, legal practitioner Dr. Enobong Akpan stated that continuous non-compliance with the court order implies that Nigeria is not living up to expectations regarding its commitment to international treaties and conventions it has signed and ratified. “We have to step up and recognize that women need to have a place in governance for the good of Nigeria as a nation,” she said.
According to her, Nigerian women remain relentless and will continue to explore different advocacy strategies to ensure that the federal high court’s judgment is fully implemented.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with the implementation of 35% affirmative action, the gap between rhetoric and reality grows wider. The glaring absence of women in key leadership positions speaks volumes about the government’s unwillingness to take decisive action, despite the regular promises made on International Women’s Day.
For Nigerian women, the struggle for equal representation is not just about political participation—it is about justice, fairness, and the opportunity to shape the policies that affect their lives. Women’s voices must be heard in every room where decisions are made, not just during speeches on International Women’s Day.
It is time for the government to move beyond symbolic gestures and take concrete steps to ensure that 35% affirmative action becomes a reality. The future of Nigerian women and the nation as a whole depends on it.
As the 2025 International Women’s Day celebrations come to an end, it is clear that the Nigerian government must move beyond press statements and fulfill its promise to increase female participation in politics. If the 35% affirmative action is not implemented soon, it will remain a hollow pledge, a symbol of what could have been, rather than a reflection of true gender equality in Nigeria.
Moshood Isah is a communications expert and good governance advocate
