By Abdulkareem Haruna

The United Nations’ UN Women and the Maryam Babangida Center for Women Development have inaugurated the first-ever Resource Center for Women in Politics and Governance in North East Nigeria. This initiative aims to address the significant underrepresentation of women in the country’s political landscape.

The center, unveiled in a ceremony in Maiduguri, is designed to foster political engagement and mentorship for women aspiring to enter politics, regardless of their party affiliation.

Dr. Asabe Bashir, Director General of the Maryam Babangida Center, emphasized the center’s role as a hub for female politicians to access vital information, counseling services, and contacts to boost their political participation.

Despite women making up about half of Nigeria’s population, they hold a mere 3.8% of seats in parliament at national and state levels, according to the United Nations.

The new center is part of the Advance Project, a collaborative effort between UN Women and the National Center for Women Development, aimed at enhancing women’s leadership capacity and providing support for political campaigns.

The Maiduguri Resource Center is the first of its kind in the North East and the third in the country, following those in Abuja and Cross River state.

UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, announced plans to establish similar centers in all six geopolitical zones. She reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to altering the narrative of women’s low political representation by 2027.

Borno state’s First Lady, Dr. Falmata Babagana Zulum, represented by Hajiya Aisha Abdulrahman, assured that the center will be fully utilized and potentially replicated across senatorial zones to benefit rural women.

Alhaji Mohammed Hamza, Acting Permanent Secretary for Women Affairs, pledged to collaborate with all partners to promote women’s active participation in politics and governance.

The event culminated in the inauguration of the digitally equipped Resource Center by Dr. Asabe Bashir. UN Women also hosted the inaugural quarterly coordination meeting for gender equality and women empowerment in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.