The Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Hon. Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf, has said that Nigeria’s democracy will remain incomplete unless women are fully represented in governance, leadership and decision-making processes.
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Justice Baba Yusuf stated this at the opening of the Second Quarter National Executive Council Meeting of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA Nigeria, held in Abuja.
Represented by Hon. Justice Maryann E. Anenih, the FCT Chief Judge described women’s political participation as a matter of justice, constitutional necessity and democratic survival, rather than mere symbolism.
According to him, no democratic system can truly succeed when women are excluded from the institutions and processes that shape national life.
He warned that institutions which leave women behind inevitably fail to reflect the realities, needs and aspirations of the societies they are meant to serve.
The Chief Judge therefore called for sustained legal, institutional and policy reforms to guarantee more inclusive governance and ensure that women are not only seen but heard in the nation’s democratic process.
The summit, held under the theme, “Strengthening Women’s Representation in Democratic Governance: Law, Policy and Practice,” brought together women lawyers, judicial officers, policymakers and advocates to examine practical ways of improving women’s participation in governance.
Delivering the keynote address, former diplomat and ex-lawmaker, Hon. Nkoyo E. Toyo, urged Nigerian women to move beyond merely demanding inclusion and begin actively claiming political power.
Toyo said women constitute nearly half of Nigeria’s population and continue to make significant contributions to the economy, family life, public service and national development, yet remain severely underrepresented in elected offices and executive positions.
She urged women to organise politically, build strategic alliances, support one another and reject the belief that leadership opportunities would be voluntarily handed to them.
“Representation is not charity,” she said. “It is a democratic necessity and a prerequisite for balanced policymaking.”
Also speaking, the Chairperson of FIDA Abuja, Chioma Onyenucheya-Uko, said the NEC meeting provided an opportunity to move advocacy beyond speeches and convert it into measurable political outcomes.
She said FIDA remains committed to ensuring that women not only occupy seats in governance but also shape policies that affect justice, development, equality and national progress.
The speakers agreed that strengthening women’s representation requires deliberate reforms, political will, legal safeguards and sustained advocacy to remove barriers limiting women’s participation in democratic governance.
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