AAUA Inaugural Lecture: Osunyikanmi advocates gender inclusion in governance

Professor Adebukola Osunyikanmi of the Political Science Department at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), has emphasized the urgent need for greater female inclusion within Nigeria's democratic systems to enhance governance and drive national development.

Delivering the university’s 29th Inaugural Lecture on October 22, 2024, titled "Democracy and Gender Inclusion: Synthesizing Political Phenomena for Good Governance", Prof. Osunyikanmi argued that democracy thrives when men and women have equal representation. 

She highlighted the persistent threat of electoral fraud to Nigeria’s democratic progress and called for reforms to address these issues.

Osunyikanmi underscored the principles of democracy, noting that it guarantees citizens’ rights and ensures equality under the law. However, she pointed out that Nigeria is yet to achieve full democratic status, as reflected in the 2024 Democracy Index, which classifies the nation as a "hybrid regime" due to issues such as electoral fraud, corruption, and a non-independent judiciary. 

“Nigeria continues to rank low in democratic integrity. In 2024, the country was classified as a hybrid regime by the EIU, ranking 104th globally with a score of 4.23. This is largely attributed to electoral malpractices, government interference in opposition politics, corruption, and pressure on the media and judiciary,” she explained.

Addressing the issue of gender parity, Prof. Osunyikanmi lamented the low representation of women in Nigerian governance. According to a 2024 report by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, only 3.9% of members of the House of Representatives and 3.7% of Senators are women, placing Nigeria among the countries with the least female representation.

She argued that gender inclusion is crucial for good governance, noting, “A democratic nation thrives when both men and women have equal opportunities to be elected into leadership positions. Yet, women remain underrepresented, with only 14 female representatives out of 358 in the House, and 4 out of 109 in the Senate.”

Prof. Osunyikanmi also addressed broader governance challenges, citing Nigeria’s low ranking on the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, where the country placed 30th out of 54 African nations. She linked poor governance to the country’s declining GDP, which has dropped from $475 billion in 2022 to $252.74 billion by mid-2024.

She called for electoral reforms to improve ballot integrity, promote internal democracy within political parties, and penalize electoral fraud. She also urged political parties to actively recruit and support competent women in leadership positions.

“The unconscious bias against women must be dismantled, and the National Gender Policy must be reinforced with legislation to ensure its effective implementation. Men must accept women’s leadership roles, and women must also support each other in leadership,” she added.

In her concluding remarks, Osunyikanmi stressed the need for Nigeria to fully embrace democratic principles and prioritize development outcomes, asserting that “Democracy must succeed in Nigeria, and citizens must start witnessing improvements in national development.”

In his introduction, Vice Chancellor Prof. Olugbenga Ige, who chaired the event, described inaugural lectures as crucial platforms for professors to share their research insights and propose solutions to societal challenges. He lauded Prof. Osunyikanmi for her extensive contributions to academia and society.