Published 29th Jul, 2023

By Abimbola Abatta

Out of the 28 names of ministerial nominees President Bola Tinubu submitted to the Senate for approval on Thursday, only seven are women.

The number reflects the overall state of women in politics compared with their male counterparts. Since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, the number of women in both appointed and elective political positions has been alarmingly low.

While each successive administration tries to do better in the involvement of women in governance, the efforts seem to be insufficient.

A report obtained from the UN Statistics Division website revealed that the national average of women’s political participation in elective and appointive positions in Nigeria remains 6.7 percent.

The report states that this percentage is below the global average of 22.5 percent and the West African average of 15 percent.

Based on the recent ministerial appointments, below is a table of women in ministerial positions in Nigeria’s fourth republic.

Year	President	Ministers	Number of women	Percentage
1999	Olusegun Obasanjo	47	9	19.1 %
2003	Olusegun Obasanjo	33	5	15.1%
2007	Umaru Yar’Adua	39	7	17.9%
2011	Goodluck Jonathan	41	13	31.7%
2015	Muhammadu Buhari	36	6	16.6 %
2019	Muhammadu Buhari	44	7	15.9%
2023	Bola Tinubu	28 nominees	7	25%

Table made by FIJ

1999

After the then President Olusegun Obasanjo was elected in 1999, no fewer than 47 ministers made his cabinet, nine of which were women.

The women include Aisha Ismail, Minister of Women Affairs, and Kema Chikwe, who was first appointed Minister of Transport in 1999 and then Minister of Aviation in 2001.

In 2018, the former president disclosed that only two states nominated female ministers when he assumed office in 1999. He had to add seven more names to the two nominated women.

2003

Following his second term in office in 2003, a 33-member cabinet was sworn in by Obasanjo in July.

Only five women, namely Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nenadi Esther Usman, Bintu Ibrahim Musa, Alice Mobolaji Osomo and Rita Akpan, made it to the list.

2007

In 2007, late President Umaru Yar’Adua appointed 32 male and 7 female ministers.

The female ministers were Fidelia Akuabata Njeze, Aishatu Jibril Dukku, Fatima Balaraba Ibrahim, Halima Tayo Alao, Adenike Grange, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Grace Ekpiwhre and Saudatu Usman Bungudu.

2011

In 2011, former president Goodluck Jonathan’s 31-member ministerial cabinet had 13 women. This is the highest number in the fourth republic.

Here are the women’s names: Hajia Zainab Maina, Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi, Omobola Johnson Olubusola, Hadiza Ibrahim Malaifa, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Ama Pepple, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi, Viola Onwuliri, Ruqayyatu Rufai, Erelu Olusola Obada Sarah Reng Ochekpe and Olajumoke Akinjide.

2015

When former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration took off in 2015, 36 ministers were appointed. No fewer than six women made it to the ministerial list. The women were Aisha Alhassan, Kemi Adeosun, Amina Mohammed, Hajia Khadija Bukar Ibrahim, Zainab Ahmed and Aisha Abubakar.

2019

In 2019, Buhari appointed 44 ministers, but only seven were women.

The names of the female ministers are Sharon Ikeazor, Maryam Katagum, Zainab Ahmed, Ramatu Tijjani, Gbemisola Saraki, Paulen Tallen and Sadiya Umar Faruk

2023

The quest for a higher representation of women in elective and appointive positions in Nigeria seems like a perpetual hurdle that requires decisive and intentional measures to cross.

With only seven women out of the 28 ministerial nominees for this year, Nigeria is far from achieving this goal.

The nominated women are Betta Edu, Doris Uzoka, Stella Okotete, Hannatu Musawa, Nkiru Onyejiocha, Uju Ohaneye and Imaan Ibrahim.

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