By Tony Ezike
The multiple award-winning Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife (IYOM), PhD, CON, on Tuesday received a Prestigious Award of Recognition at the 2025 HID Awolọwọ Foundation Dialogue in Ikenne, Ogun State, where she also delivered a powerful call for systemic reforms to strengthen women’s political participation in Nigeria.
Senator Ekwunife, honoured for her outstanding contributions to national development and her unwavering advocacy for women in governance, spoke under the theme: “Breaking Barriers or Standing Still? Nigerian Women in Politics 30 Years After Beijing” and the sub-theme “Women in Power: Lived Experiences.”
Her recognition by the Foundation, established in memory of Chief (Mrs.) HID Awolọwọ, underscored her national reputation as one of Nigeria’s most vocal champions of gender inclusion and political reform.
Addressing an audience comprising dignitaries, academics, traditional rulers, activists and women leaders, Ekwunife described Nigeria’s current representation of women in public office as a “democratic deficit,” pointing out that women occupy less than 10% of elective positions nationwide. She noted that women hold under 5% of Senate seats, about 8% of House of Representatives positions, and only four deputy governorship seats across the 36 states.
She further lamented that gender-focused bills continue to struggle in the legislature, while political parties, which she labelled the “true gatekeepers of democracy” remain structurally resistant to women’s emergence.
“No major political party in Nigeria today is led by a woman,” she stated, adding that the terrain remains shaped by “violence, monetisation, disinformation and misogyny.” She shared personal experiences of gender bias, including derogatory remarks from male colleagues during parliamentary engagements.
Ekwunife used the platform to celebrate Nigerian women who have excelled at national and global levels, such as Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Dr. Amina Mohammed, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senator Daisy Danjuma, Dame Virgy Etiaba, the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, Mo Abudu, and others. She emphasised that Nigeria’s problem has “never been women’s competence but access, opportunity and institutional support.”
Drawing from her own transition from banking to the National Assembly, she highlighted the dual burdens women often carry in leadership, a balance between professional expectations and domestic responsibilities. Her legislative milestone as Chair of the Senate Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation, where she championed the historic approval of first-line charge funding for NASENI, was cited as proof of the impact of women’s leadership when given opportunity.
The highlight of her presentation was an eight-point proposal aimed at strengthening gender inclusion in governance. These include:
A Women-in-Politics Accountability Charter for political parties, A National Women’s Shadow Parliament, Mandatory anti-bias training for political leaders, Enforceable safety protocols for female candidates, and dedicated budget lines for women’s leadership development.
She insisted that political parties must publish clear gender inclusion targets before the next election cycle, saying it is time for institutions to move “from rhetoric to reform.”
“A nation cannot walk on one leg; neither can it think with half its brain,” Ekwunife declared, describing inclusion as “smart governance” essential for national prosperity.
Paying tribute to HID Awolọwọ, she described the late matriarch as a “strategist, organiser, and stabilising force” whose life embodied the principles of gender equality long before global frameworks emerged.
Senator Ekwunife concluded her speech with an optimistic vision for the future:
“We will not stand still. We will rise. We will lead. We will transform this nation.”
Her award at the Dialogue further cements her standing as one of Nigeria’s leading voices on gender equity and public policy. The HID Awolọwọ Foundation Dialogue continues to provide a key platform for national reflection on leadership, governance, and the urgent need to elevate women’s participation in public life.
