IWD: UN Women Commends Nigeria for Implementing Beijing Platform for Action
•UK advocates special seats for women in Nigeria’s parliament
• UBA unveils month-long initiatives to empower women
•Stakeholders converge on Abuja, discuss vulnerable citizens
•As BIGIF advocates robust women participation in politics
Michael Olugbode and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja, Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti and Nume Ekgehe in Lagos
Ahead of the International Women’s Day in March 8, 2025, UN Women has commended Nigeria for the significant progress it has made in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action, especially in women’s political participation, economic empowerment, education, and the fight against gender-based violence.
UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, gave the commendation in Abuja on Monday at a high-level consultation on Nigeria’s Beijing+30 Report Review in preparation for the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69).
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Branch of the Commonwealth Parliament Association yesterday threw its weight behind the bill seeking special seats for women at the National and State Houses of Assembly.
This is coming just as constitution review exercise is at the advanced stage at both chambers of the National Assembly.
In another related development, the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has announced a series of targeted initiatives throughout March to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), reinforcing its commitment to gender equality and financial empowerment across Africa.
The bank in a statement noted that this initiative is part of its ongoing commitment towards fostering gender equality and financial inclusion and that the bank has designed some impactful programs that will address key health, social, and economic challenges while offering tailored financial solutions to support women’s growth and successes.
Also, worried by the low level of women, children and Persons With Disabilities, (PWD), inclusion in the national affairs, stakeholders on Monday converged in Abuja to strategize on way forward in advocating for the vulnerable citizens in Nigeria.
The stakeholders at the second annual conference of Commissioners of State Ministries of Women Affairs organized by the Ministry of Women Affairs with support of the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC) Programme noted that achieving gender equality involved transforming social norms and power dynamics that supported the political, social and economic empowerment of the most marginalised and vulnerable, notably women, children and PWD.
Meanwhile, the Balm in Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development has called on stakeholders across the country to support women participation in politics.
BIGIF in a one-day dialogue with Non-State Actors on Gender Quota and Women’s Political Participation held at the All Saints Guest House in Ado Ekiti bemoaned the low statistics of women in politics despite having a larger percentage of the population.
On part of the UN Women, the organisation’s Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, explained that despite the progress made, there are still emerging challenges that require collective action to drive transformative change, restating UN Women’s commitment to support Nigeria in fast-tracking gender-responsive policies.
She said: “This consultation is a crucial step in ensuring that Nigeria’s national report for CSW69 is inclusive, reflective of diverse perspectives, and aligned with the realities of women and girls across the country.
“Your participation today – whether from government, civil society, academia, or the development sector – demonstrates our shared commitment to reviewing our progress, identifying key priorities, and shaping strategic recommendations that will contribute to Nigeria’s gender equality agenda beyond Beijing+30.
“At UN Women, we remain steadfast in our support to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and all stakeholders in accelerating gender-responsive policies, strengthening women’s leadership, and ensuring sustained progress on the commitments made under the BPfA.”
According to the UN Women Country Representative, Nigeria needs to assess its achievements, challenges, and emerging priorities in preparation for the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69).
She noted that: “This consultation is an essential follow-up to the initial report drafted in November 2024, providing a platform to comprehensively enrich and refine the document through a participatory and inclusive approach.
“The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, in collaboration with UN Women and key stakeholders, has demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s report is not only robust and reflective of our national realities but also aligned with global best practices.
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women, remains one of the most comprehensive global policy frameworks for achieving gender equality.”
She said that constitution identified 12 critical areas of concern that require urgent action, including Women and poverty, Education and training of women, Women and health, Violence against women, and Women and armed conflict.
Other areas she listed were Women and the economy, Women in power and decision-making, Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women, Human rights of women, Women and the media, Women and the environment, as well as the girl child.
Also speaking Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by the Director Women Development, Mrs. Friya Bulus, pointed out that the platform creates an avenue to celebrate the achievements being made by Nigeria, and the way forward as a country.
She said: “We are here today to recognize the progress we’ve made, Beijing plus 30, and to assess our performance, to look at the report we’ve been able to put together, to assess our areas of challenges, look at what we need to push out as best practices over the years, and also look at what has constituted major challenges to women economic empowerment and gender equality.
“Our strategic review today of Nigeria’s progress in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action over the 30 years is very, very strategic.”
Some members of UK Parliament threw their weight behind the bill during a courtesy visit on the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio in Abuja on Monday as leader of the delegation, Kate Ofunne Osamor, pushed for consideration and passage of the bill.
She said the UK branch of the Commonwealth Parliament is very interested in the legislative proposal aimed at better women inclusiveness in governance.
Osamor said: “The delegation before you is a cross-party one from the House of Commons and House of Lords from the United Kingdom under the aegis of Commonwealth Parliament Association.
“The purpose of this visit on you, is to call for your support for the special seats for women in parliament by ensuring that bills, already sponsored for that, are considered and passed,” she said.
The Bill seeking for special seats for women in parliament as sponsored in the 9th and re – sponsored in the 10th National Assembly, seeks the amendment of section 77 (1) and 117 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It specifically seeks to establish 37 new seats in the Senate, one for each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT.)
The House of Representatives will add 74 seats, two for each state and the FCT just as it envisions the creation of 108 additional seats across State Houses of Assembly nationwide, allocating three seats per state.
In his response, the President of the Senate, said the bill would be looked into and given required consideration.
He said: “In the 10th National Assembly, we have legislated with the steel of conviction. We have labored tirelessly to ensure that democracy is not a mere abstraction, but a living, breathing force that transforms lives.
“Inclusive governance is part of our legislative agenda and in the spirit of unity, we have embraced the rich tapestry of our nation’s diversity.
“Our policies reflect the hopes and dreams of all Nigerians, strengthening the bonds that hold us together and ensuring that no citizen is left behind”.
Akpabio said the Nigerian parliament would strengthen the age long partnership and commercial activities between the country and the Britain with necessary legislations.
Meanwhile, the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), under the theme ‘Accelerate Action for Her Progress’, the pan-African lender will roll out a diverse set of programmes, including a webinar series on health and social issues, a business-focused live event, daily trivia challenges, exclusive financial product offerings, and a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative distributing care kits to schoolgirls.
The move underscores UBA’s broader strategy to enhance financial inclusion and create opportunities for women in business.
These activities and events underscore the bank’s dedication towards ensuring that women across the African continent and beyond, have access to financial resources, knowledge, and opportunities to help them thrive in their personal and professional lives.
The Webinar Series, which will be held around Health and Social Issues is an informative session featuring expert speakers who will be addressing critical topics affecting women’s health and well-being.
There will also be the Business Series Live Event, which is a specially curated event that will bring together successful female entrepreneurs, business leaders, and financial experts who will share and provide insights on business growth and financial management to encourage up and coming business owners.
The bank will also feature a Daily Trivia Challenge which is a fun and engaging activity to educate and reward participants on topics relating to women’s empowerment and financial literacy.
Not leaving out the growing women, the bank, through the UBA Foundation, will distribute Care Kits for Secondary School Children, aimed to cater for the growing female, and reinforcing UBA’s dedication to nurturing the next generation of women leaders.
Speaking ahead of the line-up of activities planned to mark this year’s IWD, UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, explained that the plethora of initiatives is in line with UBA’s mission as the bank of choice for women in retail and business.
He noted that the bank will also be leveraging the IWD to promote its targeted financial products, including low-interest loans tailored to female entrepreneurs and business owners.
He said “At UBA, we recognise the invaluable contributions of women in driving economic growth and societal transformation. Our initiatives for IWD 2025 are a testament to our unwavering commitment to supporting and empowering women across Africa and beyond.
“Through targeted financial products, knowledge-sharing sessions, and strategic partnerships, the bank remains dedicated to fostering an enabling environment where women can thrive in both business and personal finance.
“By amplifying these offerings, we aim to increase the acquisition and retention of female customers, ensuring they have access to all the financial resources needed to thrive,” Alawuba stated.
On its part, according to Mr. Nelson Akerele a facilitator of the Balm in Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development, women have a responsibility to contribute effectively to the growth of the country economically, socially and even emotionally.
He declared that BIGIF with the support of USAID and Canada is seeking to deepen understanding of the gender quota system and its impact on women’s political participation in Nigeria as well as foster collaboration among non-state actors in advocating gender inclusive political reforms.
He said the group is calling on stakeholders to empower women to be actively involved in the policy making across the country.
In his own words, the secretary of IPAC Deacon Joseph Anifowose encouraged women to add value to themselves by competing with men in any political party they may find themselves he also stressed the need for IPAC to mandate Political Parties to leave a percentage for women in various positions.
The dialogue which had in attendance representatives of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) IPAC, FIDA and Political parties’ representatives promised to work with BIGIF and other stakeholders to ensure women show empathy towards political participation.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim represented by her Senior Special Assistance, (SSA) on Women and Community Engagement, Princess Joan Idonije said the theme for this year, “accelerate action” is apt as there is need for renewed commitment, and bold action to tackle the issues of gender parity.
Suleiman-Ibrahim emphasized the need to critically evaluate the effectiveness of Nigeria’s policies and governance structures to ensure that collective interventions yield tangible and measurable impact, particularly at the sub-national level where the needs are most acute.
She said: “We must ensure that every intervention is tracked, evaluated, and reported. Investing in state-level gender data systems will enable us to measure progress and feed into the national Women’s Empowerment and Protection Dashboard – ensuring accountability and transparency in our collective efforts.”
