The ratio of female to male labour force participation is alarming. To achieve sustainable goals, equal representation of women in leadership positions is crucial.
- Gender disparity still exists as women serve as a second option to the male folks;
- A look at how women fared in employment and appointments in three key formal spheres paint a shallow picture of the marginalisation;
- The Nigerian civil service employs much fewer women than men;
- Dataphyte’s analysis of the gender distribution in three tier-1 financial institutions tells a male-centric tale.
Prevailing data suggest that women face diminishing opportunities in Nigeria’s social setting despite gender equality calls.
In public and private settings, gender disparity still exists as women serve as a second option to the male folks. Dataphyte’s recent 2020 Advocacy Brochure on Gender in Nigeria reveals this glaring disparity, especially in civil service. And given that women make up almost half of Nigeria’s population, the dire nature of the challenge becomes clear. To say nothing of the fact that women make up a greater percentage of Nigeria’s workforce age.
And sometimes, qualified women give up employment for family responsibilities. But what’s most impressive is the resilient nature of Nigerian women. Despite the obvious disparities, they still control 41% of micro-businesses in Nigeria, the highest entrepreneurship rates in the world, per a PwC report.
For Nigeria to attain Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), it must empower all women and ensure gender parity in all ramifications. The stakeholders must also move beyond rhetoric to reality. As such, Dataphyte looks at female participation in three formal sectors of Nigeria.
In the Private Sector
While female marginalisation is more prevalent in the public sector, data tells a similar story in the private sector. Analysis of gender in the workforce of three tier-1 financial institutions in Nigeria by Dataphyte showed male dominate boardrooms.
In Zenith Bank Plc, for instance, a wide gap exists between male and female in their Boardroom. Analysis of Zenith Bank’s 2020 half-year report showed that out of 74 top management staff, only 13 were female staff, the remaining 61 staff were male. This represents a ratio of 69:31 between males and females in the organisation. Further analysis of the Board and top management showed that only one female made Board member and as a Deputy Managing Director.
For Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), the top management and Board comprised 25 female and 44 male staff, representing a ratio of 64:36. However, unlike the Zenith Bank’s Board, GTBank has four female staff. Overall, the company’s gender percentage split is 54:46 in favour of men.
As for Access Bank, it has five women and nine men on its Board of Directors. Overall, it has 3,012 male employees and 2,564 female employees.
Gender composition of Board of Directors of three leading Nigerian Banks
| Board of Directors | Female | Male |
| Zenith Bank Plc | 12 | 1 |
| Access Bank Plc | 5 | 9 |
| GTBank | 4 | 10 |
Source: Dataphyte analysis/NSE financials
Discrimination and selection bias formed integral portions of the gender gap in the private sector, per a journal published by the Institute for Social and Economic Change.
In Public Service
Despite constituting almost half of Nigeria’s population, the civil service employs much fewer women than men. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, women made up only 38 percent of civil servants in Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. The highest representation of women among high-ranking government administrators with decision-making powers was Special Assistants, with three in 10 appointees on this cadre. The data also showed that of four Heads of Service, one was a woman. Likewise, one in five Special Adviser was a female.
In Politics, Governance
Dataphyte’s Advocacy indenture also spoke to the dismal female representation in politics and national decision making. In the last decade, the proportion of women legislators fell to 6.6% compared to 7.2% in the previous decade. Also, in two decades, out of 341 ministers that have served in the country, women made up 14 percent with men making up 86%.
During the 2015 electioneering campaign, President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo promised to ensure that women are ‘adequately represented in government appointments and provide greater opportunities in education, job creation, and economic empowerment’.
However, with over five years into this administration, the gender gap is still wide in key political positions. For instance, women make up just 16% of the number of Ministers in the present government. Likewise, this government has only six female Ministers out of 43. The situation in the Federal Government remains unchanged at state and local levels.
Plodding on..
The ratio of female to male labour force participation is alarming. To achieve sustainable goals, equal representation of women in leadership positions is crucial.
From governments to boardrooms, and village meetings, Nigerian women must take a central position and be a key decision-maker in the affairs of the nation. With this, no one will be behind in the roadmap towards achieving 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).