At a time when Nigeria continues to grapple with low female representation in politics, media executives and journalists have committed to strengthening women’s visibility and promoting their viability in politics.
This resolution emerged from a consultative meeting organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) in collaboration with the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Abuja, with support from the European Union.
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This initiative formed part of the Support to Media component of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria – Phase 2 (EU-SDGN II) project.
Speaking on the initiative, the Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, said the event was designed to strengthen the media’s responsibility to spotlight women’s inclusion in governance and electoral processes.
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Mr Arogundade explained that the second phase of the EU-SDGN aims to improve professionalism, combat misinformation and disinformation, and “media engagement in promoting women, youths and the marginalised in politics.”
Decline in women’s political representation
In her presentation titled ‘Utilising Media Power to Promote Electoral Outcomes and Reforms Addressing Women’s Issues’, broadcast journalist and media trainer Anikeade Funke-Treasure highlighted the current state of women’s political representation in Nigeria.
Ms Funke-Treasure, founder of Illuminate Nigeria, noted that women now hold just three per cent of seats in the Senate and four per cent in the House of Representatives, a 19 per cent decline compared to the last assembly.
“In the 2023 general elections, only about 10 per cent of over 15,000 candidates across national and subnational categories were women. Ninety per cent of women candidates ran on the platforms of small parties,” she said.
According to her, women’s political representation in Nigeria remains low, attributed to the lack of visibility they receive in political reporting.
“We must go beyond event-based or reporting figures. The stories of women politicians, their experiences, campaigns, achievements, and even their challenges, must be told consistently and with the depth they deserve,” she said.
She also warned against reporting that frames women as less competent or subordinate to male politicians.
She said that too often, media coverage focuses on a woman’s family life or appearance rather than her policy ideas or leadership potential, adding that these narratives not only sideline women’s credibility but also reinforce harmful “patriarchal stereotypes.”
Project outcome
In her remarks, GOCOP President Maureen Chigbo affirmed the group’s commitment to elevating women’s issues and ensuring that gender inclusion remains central to journalistic work.
Mrs Chigbo stressed the need for actionable outcomes from the meeting that lead to a concrete communique and a timeline-bound plan.
“By the next six months,” she said, “I want us to be able to say, ‘This is what we achieved as a result of this meeting.’”
Participants also engaged in discussions to explore how the media can further spotlight the achievements of elected women and hold political systems accountable.
Mr Arogundade further noted in his remarks that the IPC’s involvement is geared towards enhancing the role of the media in promoting gender inclusivity and democratic accountability.
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He recalled that in 2023, exclusive training was conducted for about 80 female journalists, but an evaluation conducted by the EU revealed the need to translate capacity-building into a measurable impact.
Mr Arogundade also pointed out the ongoing challenges female journalists face, especially the lack of an enabling environment to fully apply their skills and publish impactful reports.
As such, the focus of the consultative session was also to deliberate on ways to engage media executives and gatekeepers to address these barriers and create a more supportive media ecosystem.
He outlined the immediate goals of the session, including developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would set out commitments, performance benchmarks, and timelines for action.
He also stressed the need to incorporate civic and voter education initiatives targeting women.
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