Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI) has warned that the rising cost of politics and poor media visibility may further dim women’s chances of winning elective offices in the 2027 general elections.
Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack, Executive Director of GSAI, gave the warning in Abuja on Thursday at a press conference organised in collaboration with Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) and other stakeholders.
With the theme, ‘Beyond Participation: Amplifying Women Candidates, Advancing Political Leadership and Building an Inclusive Nigeria for 2027,’ Sydney-Jack said the challenge is no longer getting women to participate but creating viable pathways for them to secure tickets, compete, gain visibility and win.
‘The question before Nigeria is not whether women are prepared to lead. The question is whether our political systems are creating equitable pathways for women to compete, be visible, and succeed,’ she said.
She listed nomination fees, campaign logistics, mobilisation, media exposure and other electoral costs as major barriers, noting that many women lack access to political financing, networks and conventional campaign support.
Sydney-Jack flagged unequal media exposure as a decisive factor for women candidates in 2027, urging media organisations to give them greater access to headlines, interviews, debates and political analysis.
‘Women candidates should not be presented merely as ‘the few women running’. They should be profiled as political actors with ideas, policy positions, governance records, and solutions for Nigeria,’ she said, calling for gender-responsive journalism and equitable coverage throughout the electoral cycle.
GSAI renewed its call for deliberate inclusion measures, including reserved legislative seats for women.
Citing figures attributed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) final list of National Assembly candidates, Sydney-Jack said women account for 443 of the 4,408 candidates cleared for the 469 Senate and House of Representatives seats in 2027 – 115 for Senate and 328 for House of Representatives.
While an improvement from 380 women candidates in 2023, she said progress remains slow. Jigawa, Nasarawa, Niger and Yobe have no female senatorial candidates, while Akwa Ibom has 10.
‘Reserved seats are not a replacement for competitive elections. They are an inclusion mechanism designed to address historical barriers and ensure that women’s voices, experiences, and leadership perspectives are represented,’ she said.
She urged political parties, media, civil society, development partners and voters to support conditions for women to compete fairly and be visible, adding: ‘We must move from participation to influence, from presence to power, and from visibility gaps to inclusive representation.’
Kemi Okenyodo, Executive Director of PWAN, said her organisation is engaging political parties, traditional and religious institutions to improve commitment to women’s inclusion and grassroots mobilisation. CISLAC Country Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, urged Nigerians to reject money politics.
Other speakers included Ezenwa Nwagwu (PAACA); Adewusi Oluwasesan (Invictus Africa, representing Bukky Shonibare); Chizoba Ogbeche, Vice President, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists; Hon. Loveth Izekor, SA on Women Affairs to the Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council; and Anderson Osiebe, Parliamentary Advocacy Network.
GSAI said it has trained 40 reporters and editors nationwide on gender accountability and inclusive reporting, resulting in over 50 published stories, as part of its broader agenda on policy reform, leadership networks and support for women with disabilities ahead of 2027.