Centre LSD's Dr. Igbuzor Urges Passage of Women's Bill

Dr. Otive Igbuzor, the Founding Executive Director of Centre LSD and Project Director of the Women Can Lead (WCL) Project, called on the 10th National Assembly during a press conference in Abuja to pass the reserved seats bill for women. He stated that Nigeria has one of the lowest representations of women in political institutions, despite women making up about half of the population.

Igbuzor argued that countries with significant female political participation achieve better development outcomes. He emphasized that the low number of women contesting elections should not be seen as a lack of interest or capability but rather as a result of historical, economic, institutional, and socio-cultural barriers.

He urged the National Assembly to recognize their historical responsibility to pass the bill, warning that failure to do so would result in negative historical judgment. Igbuzor also called for government institutions to mainstream gender in policies and for traditional and religious leaders to challenge harmful norms.