Just 4% women in NASS, 23% in Supreme Court justices — Report
National Assembly
• Figures show gender imbalance and the need for equality.
Women account for just four per cent of National Assembly members, 23 per cent of Supreme Court justices, and 4 per cent of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, according to a new report by Women in Successful Careers.
The figures, contained in the 2025 WILMP Needs Assessment Report, highlight the gender imbalance in Nigeria’s legal and governance sectors and form the backdrop for the launch of a new mentoring initiative aimed at bridging the gap.
In response, WISCAR, with support from the Gates Foundation, has launched the Women in Law Mentoring Programme to support emerging female leaders through mentorship, skills development, and access to professional networks.
Unveiled at a recent ceremony in Lagos, the programme targets young women in public legal practice, lawmaking, and governance and aims to increase female representation in leadership roles to 35 per cent by 2027.
The six-month programme offers capacity-building workshops, leadership training, and strategic mentoring aimed at addressing the lack of access to mentorship and professional networks, which over half of the surveyed women reported.
Speaking at the launch, WISCAR chairperson and founder, Amina Oyagbola, stressed that gender equality is vital for institutional and national development.
“Empowering women and promoting gender equality are not just moral imperatives — they are essential for national progress,” Oyagbola said.
“We are building the foundation for a new generation of value-driven female leaders across the judiciary, legislature, executive, academia, and private legal practice,” she added.
The programme supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).
In a goodwill message, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, praised WISCAR’s leadership, calling the programme “a critical pathway to inclusive justice.”
“The legal system cannot reach its full potential unless women are equally represented and heard,” she said.
“To every mentee in this programme, you are the future of the profession, the future judges, lawmakers, and nation-builders.”
A total of 150 mentees were inducted into the inaugural WILMP cohort.
One of them, Katherine Kpanja, said, “I believe this programme will allow me to learn directly from high-ranking professionals succeeding in the path I aspire to follow.”
The event had in attendance stakeholders from Nigeria’s legal, governance, and corporate sectors.
Notable attendees included Justice Mujibat Iyabode Oshodi; human rights lawyer Ayo Obe; Senior Partner at Primera Africa Legal, Boma Alabi (SAN); Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos State Judiciary; Managing Partner at F.O. Akinrele & Co, Ademola Akinrele (SAN); Founding Director of WISCAR, Adebayo Oyagbola; Principal at Toki Mabogunje & Co, Toki Mabogunje; Habiba Balogun, of Habiba Balogun Consulting; and Executive Director of WARDC, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi.
The Women in Law Mentoring Programme is part of WISCAR’s broader vision to strengthen gender-inclusive leadership across all sectors and build a more equitable future for women in Nigeria.
