In what observers are calling a major milestone for gender inclusion in Nigerian politics, Lagos State is witnessing a historic surge in female participation ahead of the July 2025 local government elections.
Women from across the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) are contesting for both councilorship and chairmanship positions—an unprecedented development in the state’s political landscape.
Candidates include professionals, youth leaders, entrepreneurs, and grassroots mobilizers, many of whom are running on platforms of inclusive governance, transparency, and community-driven development.
According to the Chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (retd), the Commission encouraged participation by waiving form fees for women, youths, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
“So we did tell them. I don’t know whether any party fielded them. But if they did, what the commission did was to make their forms free.
There was no payment for any form for PWDs, women, and youths,” she explained in a recent interview.
Reports indicate that more than one-third of all registered candidates in the election are women—marking the highest female representation in the state’s electoral history.
The development has been hailed by civil society groups and gender advocacy organizations as a breakthrough for democratic inclusion in a country where women have long been underrepresented in politics.
Advocates see the increased female candidacy as a vital step toward achieving equitable representation in decision-making at the grassroots level and beyond.
Writing by Samson Asije