The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Zone D (North Central), has commended the Governor of Niger State, Umaru Bago, for his firm commitment to gender inclusion, describing him as a true champion of Affirmative Action in governance.
In a statement issued on Thursday by Zonal Secretary, NAWOJ Zone D, Juliana Ofoku in Abuja, the NAWOJ Vice President for Zone D, Mrs. Chizoba Ogbeche, and the Zonal Secretary, Mrs. Juliana Ofoku, praised Governor Bago for implementing progressive policies aimed at increasing women’s participation in leadership and governance.
Governor Bago has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to gender equity through various landmark initiatives, including Reserving all local government secretary positions for women, ensuring their active role in administration, Mandating that all vice chairmen in the next local government council elections will be female, thereby strengthening women’s political representation Setting an ambitious target of 50% female participation in governance, surpassing the 35% Affirmative Action benchmark.
Mrs. Ogbeche described Governor Bago’s policies as groundbreaking, particularly as Nigeria joins the world in celebrating International Women’s Day 2025 under the theme: *“For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”
She further urged other governors in the North Central region, as well as the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), to emulate Governor Bago’s example, emphasizing that genuine progress lies in recognizing women’s rights as fundamental human rights.
“With these initiatives, Governor Umaru Bago has not only accelerated action for gender equity but has also set a high standard for inclusive governance in Nigeria,” the statement read.
