Advocacy group calls for urgent action on women’s economic participation in Nigeria

A non-profit organisation, Gatefield, has urged the Nigerian government to strengthen laws, policies and institutions that support women’s economic participation across the country.

In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, the group said persistent legal and policy gaps continue to restrict women from fully participating in the economy, particularly outside Lagos.

Gatefield noted that while Nigeria has made progress in enacting gender-related legislation, weak institutional frameworks, poor enforcement, inadequate budgetary allocations and limited supportive infrastructure have prevented many women from turning legal rights on paper into tangible economic opportunities.

What the report says

The call comes amid the release of the Women, Business and the Law 2026 report by the World Bank Group, which exposes a significant gap between Nigeria’s legal frameworks and the systems required to implement them effectively.

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According to the report, Nigeria scores 50.0 out of 100 on legal frameworks for gender equality but only 21.7 out of 100 on the supportive policies, institutions and infrastructure necessary to enforce those laws.

The findings show that fewer than a quarter of the mechanisms required to make gender equality laws effective are currently in place.

The report highlights wide disparities in gender equality protections across Nigerian states, creating an uneven playing field for women depending on where they live and work.

One of its most striking findings is Nigeria’s 0 out of 100 score on the Parenthood indicator. The country lacks federal legislation mandating at least 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, paid paternity leave, or explicit legal protections against the dismissal of pregnant workers.

Across states, there are virtually no clear provisions guaranteeing access to affordable and quality childcare.

It also points to restrictive provisions in Sections 55, 56 and 57 of the Nigerian Labour Act, which limit women’s employment in certain industrial sectors and at night. In addition, there is no comprehensive legal mandate for equal remuneration for work of equal value.

On safety, while the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act exists, the report notes that supportive frameworks remain underfunded and weakly enforced.

The report further reveals stark regional disparities. Lagos and Oyo lead in legal gender equality indicators, with Lagos operating specialised family courts and services for survivors of gender-based violence.

However, northern states such as Bauchi and Kano record significantly lower scores, with some states scoring as low as 25.0 out of 100 on legal frameworks, particularly in areas affecting marital and inheritance rights.

Investment

Omei Bongos, a public health expert at the organisation, said the findings highlight the urgent need for the Nigerian government to move beyond legal commitments and invest in functional institutions.

She said the report should serve as a critical call to action, urging authorities to strengthen systems that ensure women are protected from violence, have access to childcare, and can access entrepreneurship opportunities and decent work.

“The report reveals that in Nigeria, legal and policy gaps limit women’s economic participation, particularly outside Lagos,” she said.

Ms Bongos added that without deliberate investment in supportive frameworks, legal rights would remain largely symbolic.

Implementation challenge

Also shedding light, Farida Adamu, Research Lead with Gatefield, said the data confirms long-standing concerns about weak implementation of gender-related laws.

Ms Adamu noted that even states that perform relatively well in legal scoring still struggle with delivering practical support systems for women.

“Even Lagos, which scores highest among the states studied for Legal Frameworks, shows near-zero scores on supportive frameworks for pay, childcare, and parenthood,” she said.

She added that while legal commitments exist on paper, the institutions required to deliver them largely do not, noting that scores decline further in northern states such as Kano and Bauchi, which confirms that implementation and service delivery have long remained the key challenge.

Empowerment issues

Shirley Ewang, Advocacy Lead of the organisation, described Nigeria’s 0 out of 100 score on parenthood as evidence that legal progress is being undermined by the absence of institutional backing.

Ms Ewang said closing the 21.7 out of 100 supportive framework deficit is critical, particularly as Nigeria prepares for a surge in young people entering the workforce over the next decade.

“The data is clear, our legal progress is being severely undermined by a lack of institutional backing, reflected in our 0 out of 100 score on the Parenthood indicator,” she said.

Ms Ewang called on policymakers and private sector leaders to adopt concrete family-friendly policies, including a minimum of 16 weeks fully paid maternity leave, 14 days paid paternity leave, and robust childcare infrastructure.

“Until these support systems are in place, empowering Nigerian women remains an illusion, and economic growth will be constrained,” she added.

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Global data

In a global context, a PREMIUM TIMES report shows that Nigeria’s challenges are part of a larger global pattern.

Women worldwide enjoy barely two-thirds of the legal rights afforded to men, and laws guaranteeing equal economic opportunities are enforced only about half the time.

On average, countries score 67 out of 100 on the adequacy of laws enabling economic equality but drop to 53 on enforcement and just 47 on the systems needed to implement those rights. Only four per cent of women globally live in economies that provide near-full legal equality.

The report also highlights gaps in safety from violence, access to childcare, entrepreneurship support and employment protections, showing that the struggle for economic equality extends far beyond Nigeria.