Advocacy Group Urges Action on Women's Economic Role in Nigeria

African outlets describe Nigerian women as central to the economy but shut out of decision-making and formal finance. They link low representation in politics and the capital market to weak policies on inflation, jobs, and safety that hurt women most. They expect stronger quotas, targeted economic programmes, and regulatory pressure, such as from the SEC, to be needed before women’s participation rises meaningfully.

• •Nigerian women carry much of the unpaid care work while holding only 3.9% of elected seats.
• •Weak access to credit and formal jobs keeps many Nigerian women in low-paid informal work.
• •High inflation and insecurity in parts of Nigeria are eroding women’s real incomes faster than men’s.
• •Regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission must actively recruit and mentor women into finance roles.
• •Newer sectors such as skit-making show that when barriers are lower, Nigerian women can quickly dominate and innovate.