The Osasu Show (TOS) Foundation Africa has launched the HerCademy Legislative Mentorship Programme to tackle the underrepresentation of women in Nigerian politics. The initiative was unveiled in Abuja on Tuesday in collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland in Nigeria. Founder Osasu Igbinedion-Ogwuche stated the programme aims to equip women with the skills and knowledge needed for legislative leadership and effective governance. "This is not just about participation; it is about power, equipping women to understand how laws are made, how systems work, and how to lead with competence and clarity once they are in the room," she said.
Nigeria currently has less than five per cent female representation in the National Assembly, the lowest in Africa. In the 10th Assembly (2023–2027), women hold only 17 of 469 seats, or 3.6 per cent, a decline from previous figures. The Reserved Seats Bill, which proposes special legislative seats for women for 16 years, has passed its Second Reading in the House of Representatives but requires broad legislative and state approval before presidential assent. Switzerland's Chargé d'Affaires, Siamak Rouhani, noted that increasing women's political participation strengthens governance. The HerCademy programme will run for six weeks, offering training, mentorship, and legislative simulations for aspiring female leaders. British Deputy High Commissioner Gill Lever said, "Power is rarely given to women. It is usually negotiated—and sometimes taken."
That Nigeria has the continent's lowest share of women in parliament—and that a foreign embassy is leading efforts to fix it—speaks volumes about local political will. Osasu Igbinedion-Ogwuche's mentorship programme may equip women, but without structural shifts, such initiatives risk becoming symbolic stopgaps. The Reserved Seats Bill, though pending, faces steep hurdles, and its survival beyond 16 years is uncertain. For now, power remains concentrated, and access for women, by design, limited.
