Borno women demand positions in politics

Women in Borno State are urging the government to establish designated political portfolios for women at both state and federal levels to ensure more inclusive representation.

Speaking under the banner of the Women Political Participation Working Group, the demand was made late Thursday during a consultative session with advocacy groups ahead of the Zonal Public Hearing on the 1999 Constitution review in Maiduguri.

Aisha Abubakar, who chairs the group, confirmed that a bill proposing the reservation of specific seats for women has already been drafted and will be presented at the hearing.

“The aim of the bill is to ensure that women have dedicated seats, which would empower them to run for office more competitively and confidently,” she said. “Women face multiple barriers when contesting alongside men, political, social, economic and this bill seeks to level the playing field.”

Abubakar explained that the proposal would expand the number of legislative seats in Borno. “Currently, Borno has 27 local governments and 28 lawmakers in the House of Assembly. The plan is to create additional seats strictly for women. In the Senate, we have three districts — the proposal adds a fourth, exclusively for women.”

Umar Dan’Assabe, Senior Programme Manager for Elections at Kimpact Development Initiative, backed the initiative, calling it a critical step toward inclusive governance.

He said, “This bill couldn’t come at a better time. Since the start of the Fourth Republic in 1999, we’ve seen some improvement in female political participation, but it’s nowhere near where it should be. Out of 109 senators, only four are women — that’s unacceptable.”

Dan’Assabe emphasized that with women making up nearly half (47.5%) of Nigeria’s voting population, it’s vital that they are also given space at the decision-making table.

According to him, the proposed allocations for Borno State include one reserved seat in the Senate, one in the House of Representatives, and three in the State House of Assembly.

Falmata Lawan, Director of Women Affairs and Gender at the Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, praised the proposal and affirmed the state government’s commitment to promoting gender equality in political participation.