Ahead of the much anticipated 2027 general elections, stakeholders have called on leaders across board to ensure gender-inclusiveness in a bid to boost the nation’s economy.
The stakeholders made the call on Monday at the 2026 International Women’s Day celebration themed “Communicate to Balance: Gain Equity, Empower Women,” organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in Abuja.
According to them, persistent gender gaps in finance, employment, and leadership, if not reformed, have the capacity to limit the country’s economic growth.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, while speaking at the event, pointed out that structural barriers, including financial exclusion and rigid workplace systems, are preventing many Nigerian women from fully participating in the economy.
Hadiza lamented how women in the workforce are dropping at the peak of their careers due to lack of institutional support, particularly during childbearing years.
According to her, such treatment creates leadership gaps, which affects productivity and organizational performance across the country.
Similarly, governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State declared that when women are empowered, the nation tends to enjoy prosperity and stability.
Kefas, who pointed out the important roles of women in every society, stated that when women are properly empowered, it is the nation that benefits from the gesture.
The governor called on leaders to be “deliberate about equity” by ensuring women inclusion in politics and governance.
The governor emphasized that “when young girls see women lead, they begin to believe that leadership is possible.
“If we are sincere about development, I mean true development, then we must be deliberate about equity. And if we are deliberate about equity, then we must be intentional about empowering women.
“The truth is simple, no society rises about the value it places on its women. When families are strengthened, communities are stabilized and when communities are stable, nations prosper”.
On his part, the NIPR President, Dr. Ike Neliaku pointed out the contribution of women in the progress of the country, stating that Nigerian women have never been “spectators in our national story”.
“History teaches us that when women are enabled to contribute, societies do not diminish, instead they flourish! In every sector of Nigerian life, public service, media, corporate leadership, civil society, and indeed within our own profession
of public relations, women have demonstrated brilliance, resilience, and transformative leadership.
“I really don’t understand the paradox of men!.While they are scared of women leading, they adore them as mothers, love them as wives, honour them as sisters, and cherish them as daughters”, Ike added.
