British Deputy High Commissioner Urges Nigeria To Address Gender Imbalance At NASS 

British Deputy High Commissioner, Gill Lever has decried poor representation of women in the Nigerian Parliament. 

Fielding questions in a Women Radio 91.7FM interview monitored by DAILY INDEPENDENT, the Diplomat hinted that half of the Nigeria’s population are female but expressed concern that “in the National Assembly, for every woman, there are 22 men”.

Gill Lever disclosed that “evidence shows that women’s political empowerment isn’t just the right thing to do morally – it’s also the smart thing to do.

“We need more women in leadership positions to build a more inclusive and just society. Evidence shows that women’s political empowerment isn’t just the right thing to do morally—it’s also the smart thing to do. I’m passionate about Nigeria’s potential as a global player. Half of Nigeria’s population is female, but in the National Assembly, for every woman, there are 22 men. This imbalance needs to change. I don’t want Nigeria to be at the bottom of the global league table for women’s political representation, next to countries like Afghanistan.

Addressing systemic barriers, Lever said “President Tinubu’s economic growth agenda aims to grow Nigeria’s economy and create jobs. Research by McKinsey shows that if more women were brought into political life, African economies could grow by 10% of their GDP. In Nigeria specifically, the GDP could increase by 10 to 20% with more women in politics. Women’s involvement leads to better policies around education, healthcare, family welfare, poverty reduction, more accountability, and less corruption. We also need male allies, HeForShe, for example, where men in positions of influence champion women’s causes. 

“At the grassroots level, we need women supporting women, SheForShe, because women often become their own biggest critics. Mentorship also plays a vital role. Women need mentors, whether male or female, who can champion their causes and help them advance. Finally, the media needs to challenge stereotypes around women in politics and portray strong female role models in film, TV, and other platforms.

Speaking about the need for Legislative Reforms for Gender Equity, Lever said “Several countries have had success with electoral reform. Rwanda, for example, leads in women’s representation, while Uganda has adopted a different approach. We’ve worked with civil society and NGOs to determine what could work best for Nigeria and came up with the Special Seats Bill. It fits Nigeria’s first-past-the-post system, unlike other models from Rwanda or Uganda.

“In short, the Special Seats Bill would add 37 additional women senators, 30 women representatives, and 108 women in state assemblies nationwide. These are additional seats, so women wouldn’t compete against men for the same positions. This intervention would be time-limited, with a sunset clause. After four electoral cycles, we’d hope that women’s representation would be mainstreamed without the need for these special seats.”

On how the UK and Nigeria  can strengthen their bilateral relations, Gill Lever said it could be achieved  through partnership and mutual respect.

“In today’s world, where discourse can sometimes be divisive, we value the longstanding relationship between our countries. Our leaders have fostered strong connections. For instance, our King met with President Tinubu in September last year, and there have been nine high-level visits from the UK to Nigeria since then.

“One of the areas where we’d like to collaborate more is economic growth. Nigeria is currently our second-largest trading partner in Africa after South Africa, with total trade in goods and services valued at £7.5 billion. We see potential for growth in sectors such as education, agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, IT, and the creative industries. We hope to strengthen these ties and help Nigeria become our biggest trading partner in Africa,” she said.