BVPRI Launches Women Political Inclusion Project to Expand Women’s Participation in Governance
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
The Basileia Vulnerable Persons’ Rights Initiative (BVPRI) has launched the Women Political Inclusion Project (WPIP), a three-month initiative aimed at increasing the participation of women and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in politics and governance across Kaduna State.
The project, supported by the Urgent Action Fund-Africa, seeks to improve access to political systems for underrepresented groups, particularly women and persons with disabilities, while strengthening their capacity to participate in decision-making, policy formulation, implementation and governance.
Speaking at the project’s inception meeting, the Executive Director of BVPRI, Barr. Jennifer Agbaji, described the low representation of women in Nigeria’s parliament as a major democratic challenge, noting that women currently occupy less than five per cent of legislative seats.
“A 95 per cent exclusion rate for women in parliament is an aberration. It is a ticking time bomb,” she said, adding that Nigeria’s 25 years of democracy cannot be considered fully inclusive until the gender gap in political representation is significantly reduced.
Agbaji stressed that the campaign for women’s political inclusion is not about replacing men but creating equal opportunities for both genders to participate in governance.
“The inclusion of women does not mean the exclusion of men. We are not saying we want fewer men. We are saying that after 25 years of democracy, the least we can do is bring men and women together to have a level playing ground,” she said.
According to her, increasing the number of women in elective offices would improve policymaking because women are better positioned to influence decisions affecting families, communities, education, healthcare and national development.
She described political participation as a fundamental right, insisting that women deserve equal opportunities to occupy decision-making positions.
Agbaji identified the proposed Reserved Seats for Women Bill (HB 1349), also known as the Special Seats Bill, as one of the most important legislative interventions needed to improve women’s representation.
She urged the National Assembly to pass the bill, noting that it would reserve additional legislative seats for women and help reverse the country’s declining female representation in politics.
“We need rapid intervention. The way things are going, even the meagre five per cent we have is dropping because many women were sidelined during recent party primaries,” she said.
The Executive Director said one of the major objectives of the Women Political Inclusion Project is to build public awareness and advocacy around the Reserved Seats for Women Bill (HB 1349), while increasing the representation of women and persons with disabilities in the National Assembly and the Kaduna State House of Assembly.
She explained that the initiative would also strengthen the knowledge, confidence and leadership skills of women and persons with disabilities to enable them to participate effectively in governance and electoral processes.
Agbaji noted that one of the biggest barriers preventing women from seeking elective office is inadequate knowledge of political processes.
She recounted the experience of mentoring a promising woman who later withdrew from politics because she neither possessed a Permanent Voter Card (PVC) nor understood how to join a political party.
“The roadmap to leadership remains blurry for too many women. Many women are comfortable just getting their PVC and voting. They do not know they can also contest elections and sit in those seats of government,” she said.
She added that the project would bridge this information gap by connecting women directly with relevant institutions and stakeholders, enabling them to better understand political processes and available opportunities.
Agbaji also highlighted the participation of women with disabilities at the inception meeting, saying many participants gained valuable information about electoral accommodations provided by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for persons with disabilities.
She described the engagement as an important step towards removing barriers that have historically limited the political participation of women and other marginalized groups.
The Women Political Inclusion Project is expected to increase awareness of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill among women, persons with disabilities and key stakeholders, strengthen advocacy for its passage, and enhance collaboration among government institutions, civil society organisations, political parties, traditional institutions, the media and community leaders in promoting inclusive governance.
The project also seeks to generate wider public support for the meaningful participation of women and persons with disabilities in elective and appointive positions through stakeholder engagements, community dialogues, capacity-building activities, research and documentation, and media awareness campaigns.
Implementation will take place across seven local government areas of Kaduna State—Sabon Gari, Lere, Makarfi, Igabi, Chikun, Zangon Kataf and Kachia—between June 30 and September 29, 2026.
As part of the inception meeting, BVPRI presented awards to individuals and organisations that have demonstrated exceptional leadership, mentorship and commitment to advancing women’s participation in governance. The organisation also announced plans to document successful initiatives and experiences that have contributed to reducing gender gaps in political leadership.
