Excluding Women from Leadership is Hurting Nigeria’s Economy — New NarratEQ Report

By Caroline Ameh

Nigeria’s persistent exclusion of women from political leadership roles is slowing down the country’s economic progress, according to a new analysis by NarratEQ, the gender equality insights hub launched this week by Gatefield.

The report shows that during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan (2010–2015)when women held about 31% of cabinet positions Nigeria’s economy recorded a steady GDP growth of 6–7%, achieving its largest size in history. However, under subsequent administrations where women’s representation dropped to 8.8%, economic growth also slowed, reflecting global evidence that greater gender inclusion in leadership strengthens economic outcomes.

Nigeria now ranks 180th out of 190 countries in women’s political representation, with only 3.9% of senators and 8.8% of cabinet members being women the lowest among Africa’s major economies.

In contrast, Rwanda leads globally with 61% female representation in parliament, while South Africa maintains an average of 45% in both its parliament and cabinet. Nigeria, meanwhile, has regressed from 31% cabinet representation to 8.8% under current leadership, falling below the national policy goal of 35% and against the global trend toward greater inclusion.

The analysis also highlights a cultural perception gap that sustains gender exclusion. While 64% of Nigerians express comfort with women as corporate leaders, only 50% feel the same about women in political roles. This disparity, the report notes, reinforces structural barriers even when gender-friendly policies exist.

The findings were unveiled alongside the launch of NarratEQ, a first-of-its-kind gender data platform developed by Gatefield, a leading public strategy and advocacy group. The platform consolidates verified datasets across six focus areas political leadership, economic empowerment, health, education, care economy, and corporate representation to make gender equality data more accessible, visual, and actionable.

NarratEQ provides monthly insights, story leads, and downloadable, quality-rated datasets for journalists, policymakers, and researchers.

“NarratEQ is a response to a very nagging problem of siloed data that makes insights difficult to work with in Nigeria,” said Alfred Ajayi, one of the attendees at the launch. “Where data exists, it’s scattered you can hardly bring them together to get something you can really work with. This initiative will make our situation better.”

About NarratEQ

NarratEQ is a gender equality insights hub developed by Gatefield to promote data-driven storytelling and evidence-based advocacy for inclusive development.

Gatefield is a public strategy and media group that creates positive change through creative, high-impact advocacy and storytelling. The organization partners with global institutions to design strategies that drive social progress.