The Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Matthew Adamu, has described the current low level of women’s participation in decision-making and leadership positions in Nigeria as unhealthy and unacceptable.
Adamu made the remark on Monday in Abuja during the induction ceremony of over 50 postgraduate students of the Centre for Gender Security Studies and Youth Advancement.
Represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Academic Matters, Prof. Rhoda Mundi, Adamu noted that although women constitute about 49.5 percent of Nigeria’s population, they remain grossly underrepresented in governance and policy formulation.
“When you look at decision-makers and those who take part in decision-making, it is largely the male population. Yet, our population is almost evenly split between men and women,” he lamented. “No society can attain its full potential if half of its population is held back by discrimination or unequal access to opportunities.”
He urged the inductees to view their admission as a call to action toward advancing gender equality and social justice, emphasizing that gender studies help in understanding how gender intersects with class, ethnicity, and religion.
Also speaking at the event, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Hajiya Binta Bello, represented by Hadiza Chiroma, charged the students to uphold discipline, integrity, and service as they prepare to contribute to national and global development.
“You represent the next generation of leaders and change agents that our nation looks up to,” Bello said. “Let this induction mark the beginning of a journey that will not only advance your academic pursuit but also position you to contribute meaningfully to national development and global human security.”
The Director of the Centre, Dr. Theresa Akpan, in her remarks, reminded the inductees that gender equality is not solely a women’s issue but a shared societal responsibility.
“Gender is not a woman thing; it’s for men and women,” she stated. “If we all put our hands together, society will be balanced, and the injustices we talk about will be done away with.”
