Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has reaffirmed his commitment to advocating for women’s rights, equality, and empowerment in a powerful statement released on March 8, 2025, marking International Women’s Day.
Acknowledging the global significance of the day, Obi emphasized the need to celebrate women while addressing the urgent challenges they face. This year’s theme, “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,” underscores the importance of advancing gender equality as a catalyst for national progress.
Obi lamented the harsh realities confronting Nigerian women, including entrenched poverty, limited access to healthcare and education, and systemic exclusion from leadership and decision-making roles. With girls making up the majority of the country’s out-of-school children, he stressed the urgent need for aggressive investment in girl-child education, especially in marginalized regions.
Security concerns remain a major setback, as women continue to suffer disproportionately from violence, abductions, and other forms of insecurity. Meanwhile, in both politics and business, women struggle to attain leadership positions. Currently, Nigerian women hold only 6% of leadership roles in the private sector, while political representation has hit a record low since the 2023 elections.
Highlighting the struggles faced by female politicians like Senator Ireti Kingibe and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Obi condemned the discrimination and hostility women face even after securing electoral victories. He called for affirmative action to ensure at least 25% representation for women in all decision-making bodies—both in government and corporate leadership.
“The time to act is now,” Obi urged. “Women are the backbone of our society, and our nation’s progress depends on ensuring they have equal opportunities to shape our collective future.”
Concluding his statement with his signature call for national transformation, Obi reiterated: “A new Nigeria is POssible!”
