2027: Women will make half my cabinet if elected president

Former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, says half of all cabinet positions under his administration would be occupied by women if he becomes President of Nigeria.

Amaechi, who spoke at the inauguration of the World Women Organization (WWO) Nigeria chapter in Lagos on Monday as special guest of honour, said the commitment is part of his plan to demonstrate that competence, rather than gender, should determine leadership roles.

Amaechi, who formally declared his 2027 presidential ambition on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform in august 2025, said his commitment to women’s inclusion would define his administration if elected.

He explained that the federal cabinet, which has about 42 ministers, would be divided equally. “There will be 21 male and 21 female,” he said, stressing that gender should not be seen as a barrier to performance. He added that part of the appointments would go to young women, noting that “10 or 11 will go to the youths,” while the rest would be shared among women from various age brackets, mirroring his planned distribution.

Amaechi argued that women’s empowerment must begin with correcting long-standing structural and cultural barriers that limit their participation in governance, particularly lack of access to education. He recalled legislative reforms he supported as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly to prohibit harmful widowhood practices, insisting that correcting discriminatory norms remains essential for women’s growth.

According to him, women contribute significantly to family stability and societal development, yet still face ideological constraints. He emphasised that appointments must be based on qualification. “Women must know that it’s not because they are women. It’s because they are equipped,” he said.

He also pointed out that internal divisions among women often weaken their collective advancement in politics, noting that unity would encourage more men in leadership to support women’s inclusion. “If women stop fighting themselves, men will be encouraged,” he said.

Founder of the World Women Organization, Rachel Akem Harami, said the inauguration of the Nigerian chapter is aimed at strengthening collaboration among women-led groups to drive economic and social advancement. She stated that “the organization’s short-term objective is to raise at least 5,000 women entrepreneurs within five years by equipping them with financial independence and business capacity.”

She stressed the need to reshape how society views wealthy or successful women, saying the organization seeks to “conduct a surgery on the mindset” of women and enable them to “believe that they are capable of owning their own wealth.”

Harami added that the group intends to work with government at all levels to expand opportunities for women. “We are not here to fight with the government. We are here to support the government,” she said, adding that such cooperation is necessary to improve policies that enable women to lead and build sustainable livelihoods. She encouraged women and girls to have confidence in their abilities, saying, “Whatever they set their mind to achieve, they will achieve it.”

Speaking earlier, the Consul General of China, Yan Yuqing, highlighted the relevance of women in society, stating, “Nowadays in China, women make up more than 40 per cent of the workforce, which is how we truly bring to life the saying that women hold up half the sky.”

Yuqing added that as the first female Consul General of China in Lagos, she has witnessed the advancement of women’s causes in Nigeria firsthand. “Our consulate, in collaboration with overseas Chinese enterprises and academic institutions within the consular district, has jointly launched several branded public-welfare programs, targeting not just women, but every strata of society.”