All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has convened a landmark National Women’s Summit at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, with the theme: “Advancing Women Inclusion in Politics and Governance.”
The summit brought together women leaders, political stakeholders, civil society actors, and gender advocates from across the country for a robust, nonpartisan discussion on increasing women’s representation in Nigeria’s political and governance spaces.
APGA National Leader and Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, was represented by the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Onyekachukwu Ibezim.
In his goodwill message, Dr. Ibezim said, “Attempting to exclude women from politics and governance is akin to trying to clap with just one hand. For our democracy and development to be complete, women must be at the center of decision-making.”
Declaring the summit open, APGA National Chairman, Sly Ezeokenwa, said the party convened the dialogue out of the conviction that national development cannot be achieved when more than half of the population remains underrepresented.
“This summit is not about APGA alone. It is about Nigeria. When women are excluded from the table, policies become incomplete. Advancing women’s inclusion is not a favour to women; it is an investment in better governance for all Nigerians,” he said.
Participants identified financial constraints, cultural norms, violence against women in politics, and party nomination bottlenecks as major barriers to women’s participation in politics.
They called on political parties to adopt internal affirmative action measures, urged the passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill, and advocated the full implementation of the 35 percent Affirmative Action policy.
Women leaders also shared their experiences in governance, emphasizing the need for mentorship, capacity building, and sustainable financing to support the next generation of female political leaders.
Although hosted by APGA, the summit served as a nonpartisan platform, attracting representatives from other political parties, women’s organisations, and development partners.
APGA National Woman Leader, Barr. Lizzy Nwokeocha, noted that the challenges facing Nigerian women in politics transcend party affiliation.
“Today we put partisan interests aside to confront a national challenge. Our daughters deserve a political system that welcomes them,” she said.
At the end of the summit, participants resolved to advocate constitutional and electoral reforms that would enhance women’s representation, encourage political parties to implement voluntary quotas and support female aspirants, establish a national mentorship network for women in politics, and improve data collection on women’s participation at all levels.
APGA also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening internal mechanisms that promote women’s leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.
