The efficacy of women participation in governance and development: The case of Nigeria

Abstract

Good governance can be realized when the element of participation is effectively upheld. Over the years, the participation of women in social, economic and political scene in Africa and particularly in Nigeria has been of concern as a result of their eminent marginalization especially in politics of local, state and national development. The concept of women’s empowerment and women’s participation is clearly regarded from different perspectives and has impacted greatly on topical practices in governance. Although, it is acknowledged that women’s participation in governance is of great significance, the justification and efficacy of their participation is not effusively  investigated and valued in the Nigerian context. More so, the review of literature and Nigerian policies revealed the gap between policy and practice. In view of the above, this paper engaged in a desktop research study by reviewing extant and relevant literature to examine pertinent context and trajectory of women’s empowerment and analyse the extent of women’s participation in governance in Nigeria. The authors conducted a thematic analysis of related literature using a computer-assisted approach. The findings revealed an insubstantial degree of women’s participation in the Nigerian political affairs and provided the utility of their participation towards an effective governance model. The researcher concluded that a holistic approach incorporating gender mainstreaming ensures efficiencyand effectiveness in institutional development and sustainability. Thus, the researcher recommends increased woman participation in politics, policy formulation, adoption and implementation.