Abuja, Nigeria – September 16, 2025
By Jungle-Journalist.Com
The clamour for women’s rightful place in Nigeria’s political space is about to hit fever pitch as Emerge Women Development Initiative convenes a special SheThePeople Dialogue in Abuja this Thursday, September 18.
The high-powered parley, themed “Deepening the Conversation, Accelerating Women’s Representation in Governance,” will zero in on the Reserved Seats for Women Bill (HB 1349 & SB 440) and allied gender reforms now before the National Assembly.
The Abuja meeting is set to gather a powerful mix of voices—lawmakers, cabinet members, diplomats, grassroots leaders, gender rights champions and civil society veterans—all united in the drive to break Nigeria’s age-long exclusion of women from governance.
Founder of the SheThePeople platform, Mary Ikoku, fired a salvo ahead of the dialogue: “Reserved seats are not a favor—they are a structural correction for decades of exclusion. We must build the momentum to make this reform a reality.”
Backing her up, veteran rights activist Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Founding Director of WARDC, added: “We’ve talked long enough—now is the time for institutional action. These bills represent a turning point for women’s rights in Nigeria.”
Expected at the session are heavyweights including the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chair of Constitution Review, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu CFR; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs; DG of the Women Development Centre, Dr. Vilita Asabe; Dr. Otive Igbuzor; APC Deputy National Woman Leader; as well as members of the diplomatic corps and top civil society leaders.
The dialogue is hosted in partnership with the Entrepreneurship Centre for Women Development (ECWD), cementing SheThePeople’s reputation as one of the most influential convening spaces for women’s voices in Nigeria today.
For media inquiries or participation details, contact Dr. Eunice Emmanuel on +2348052221392.