Written by Nnamdi Iwuchukwu, Head, Press and Public Relations Unit. 21/05/2025

In a clear demonstration of the Renewed hope mantra of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in ensuring reserved seats for women in politics in Nigeria, the Director-General of Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Honourable Dr Asabe Vilita Bashir has reiterated the Centre’s commitment to women empowerment with the commissioning of an electronic digital billboard as a crucial advocacy tool for the reserved seats for women in Nigeria. Speaking at the commissioning event at the Banquet Hall in the Centre on Wednesday, the Director-General said that today’s event marks a significant step towards empowering Nigerian women in leadership and decision-making.
In her words, ’the Centre has a long-standing commitment to promoting the advancement of women in all spheres of life. She stated,’ Reiterating the urgent need for Nigeria to achieve her full potentials, the DG said that the country must harness the skills, talents and perspectives of her citizens including the women. According to her, ‘we also acknowledged that women often face unique challenges and barriers that hinder their effective participation in governance and decision making. ‘These challenges range from limited access to information and resources to socio-cultural biases and systemic inequalities, she stated.’
Highlighting these challenges and the need to bridge the gap, the Director-General was grateful to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s administration for the uncommon commitment to the establishment of resource centres for women in governance and decision-making through his gender responsive governance, with the support from UN Women and the Canadian government. Noting that the vision of the establishment of these Resource Centres extends beyond the current centres in Abuja, Maiduguri and Calabar, she was hopeful that the Resource Centres will be established in all thirty-six states in Nigeria to ensure that every woman has access to these vital Resources. She, therefore, urged Nigerian women to fully use the centres and called on the stakeholders to join in this endeavour. She averred, ‘Your support is crucial to the success and sustainability of the Resource Centres.’
Earlier in his goodwill message, the UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, ably represented by Mr Zephaniah Aura, the governance team lead, said that global evidence had shown that inclusive governance and stronger institutions were more likely when women were in leadership positions. In his words, “Women are underrepresented not because of a lack of talent, but due to limited access to mentorship, information, and opportunity. “These centres are designed to change that narrative,” Eyong said.
Also delivering her goodwill message, Mrs Ebere Ifendu, Chair of the Political Participation Working Group and Women in Politics Forum, called for the creation of a more inclusive and equitable society, urging greater support for women in political spaces. In her overview of the resource centres, the National project coordinator, Mrs U. Blessing Oboh, stated that the resource centres should be made available to women in governance and decision-making positions in Nigeria to position the women for better leadership as well as inspire other women to take up leadership roles in the country. Highlight of the event was the commissioning of the electronic billboard by the Director-General, the guests and the management staff. It was followed with a group photograph.