Despite growing public acceptance of women in leadership, stakeholders have raised concerns that entrenched structural and institutional barriers continue to limit women’s representation across Nigeria’s political and economic sectors. The concerns were raised on Tuesday in Abuja during a high-level policy summit on advancing women’s leadership and dismantling institutional barriers. Speaking at the event, Oluwatobiloba Moody, the director of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Nigeria office, said women’s participation in leadership is critical to driving innovation and economic growth. Mr Moody noted that excluding women from leadership roles, particularly in innovation-driven sectors, limits the country’s development potential. “Inclusive leadership is not just a social goal, it is an economic necessity,” he said. “If we are serious about growth and innovation, then we must ensure that women have equal access to opportunities in sectors such as technology, intellectual property, and the creative economy.” He called for policies that deliberately promote women’s participation in these sectors, adding that diversity strengthens systems and improves outcomes. About the summit The summit organised by WIPO was first launched in 2023 and is one of the organisation’s flagship initiatives aimed at elevating the participation, leadership, and economic impact of women in innovation and the creative economy. The 2026 edition, themed “The Audacity for Change: Women Leading Innovation and Creativity for Nigeria’s Economic Transformation,” brought together policymakers, entrepreneurs, creatives, legal practitioners, academics, and development partners to explore how intellectual property (IP) can be leveraged as a tool for inclusive growth and sustainable development. Strong public support, weak institutional progress In Nigeria, calls for increased representation of women in leadership have gained attention over the years, particularly in the political space, with sustained advocacy for measures such as the proposed Special Seats for Women Bill to improve women’s participation in legislative bodies. Despite these efforts, progress has remained slow, with women still underrepresented in both governance and corporate leadership. PREMIUM TIMES recently reported that nearly nine in 10 Nigerians are comfortable with women leading major companies, according to the 2025–2026 Nigeria Leadership Readiness Brief of the Reykjavik Index for Leadership. The report showed a marginal increase in Nigeria’s leadership readiness score to 59 in 2025 from 57 in 2024, signalling growing confidence in women’s leadership abilities. Globally, the gap is even more pronounced. According to the World Bank Group’s Women, Business and the Law report, women enjoy only about two-thirds of the legal rights available to men. While countries score an average of 67 out of 100 on gender-equal laws, enforcement drops the score to 53, and implementation systems reduce it further to 47. Bridging public support, systemic change Speaking on systemic change, Beatrice Eyong, resident representative, UN Women Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said the growing acceptance of women in leadership must be matched with deliberate institutional reforms. Ms Eyong noted that while recent data shows Nigerians are increasingly open to women in leadership roles, structural barriers such as limited access to opportunities, financing, and decision-making spaces continue to hold women back. She said that although confidence in women’s leadership abilities is increasing, it must be backed by deliberate efforts to strengthen political, economic, and social systems to support and sustain women in leadership roles. She stressed that bridging this gap requires not just policy commitments but accountability and sustained implementation. “We need to move from intention to action. It is not enough to have frameworks on paper; we must ensure that they are implemented in ways that create real opportunities for women,” she added. Closing the gap between laws and reality Elsie Attafuah, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative, said one of the biggest challenges remains the disconnect between existing gender equality laws and their enforcement. Ms Attafuah noted that while many countries, including Nigeria, have made progress in developing legal frameworks, weak institutional capacity continues to undermine their effectiveness. “We have seen progress in terms of policies and commitments, but the real issue lies in implementation”. “Until we strengthen the systems that enforce these laws, women will continue to face barriers in accessing leadership positions,” she said. She emphasised that achieving gender equality requires stronger institutions, better monitoring systems, and a commitment to enforcing existing provisions. Strengthening accountability Olujoke Aliyu, co-managing partner at Aluko & Oyebode, said Nigeria must prioritise enforcement and accountability in addressing gender inequality. Ms Aliyu noted that while legal frameworks exist, gaps in implementation continue to limit their impact. “We cannot continue to celebrate policies without looking at how they are being enforced”. “The real question is whether these laws are working for women in practice,” she said. She called for stronger accountability mechanisms to ensure compliance across both public and private institutions, particularly in areas such as workplace equality and access to leadership roles. Moving beyond commitments Ngozi Ekeoma, group managing director of Nepal Group of Companies, urged the private sector to take more concrete steps towards gender inclusion. Ms Ekeoma said many organisations publicly support gender equality but fail to implement policies that advance women. She said that they must move beyond statements of support to actual change by creating systems that intentionally support women through mentorship, leadership development, and fair recruitment and promotion processes. Ms Ekeoma also highlighted the need to address structural issues such as pay gaps and limited access to professional networks. She added that when women are given equal opportunities, organisations benefit, as diversity improves decision-making, drives innovation, and strengthens performance. About WIPO WIPO is a specialised agency of the UN, focusing on promoting a balanced, accessible global intellectual property system that supports innovation, creativity, and economic development. The organisation works with governments, businesses, and civil society to ensure that intellectual property drives technological advancement, cultural development, and inclusive prosperity.