From BEN AUTA, Kaduna
The Women Mentoring and Leadership Initiative (WAMFOI) has organised a mentoring session for aspiring female politicians in Kaduna State as part of efforts to prepare more women for active participation in the 2027 general elections.
The programme, held on Friday, brought together female political aspirants, elected officials and women leaders to discuss strategies for increasing women’s representation in elective offices and overcoming barriers to political participation.
President of WAMFOI and former member of the House of Representatives, Florence Aya, said the initiative was aimed at equipping women with the leadership skills and confidence needed to compete effectively in politics.
“We need to mentor women because they are the backbone of the nation. They must participate in politics so that they can contribute to nation-building,” she said.
Aya, a former Chairperson of Kaura Local Government Area and former Minority Leader of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, noted that more women were showing interest in elective offices and urged them to remain committed to their political ambitions.
Chairperson of the Kaduna State chapter of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Zainab Hassan, who represented the Majority Leader of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Munira Tanimu, called for greater female representation at all levels of government.
She urged women to support one another and avoid rivalry, saying unity remained essential to achieving greater political inclusion.
Former councillor and Special Adviser to the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Aisha Muhammad, described the mentoring session as an eye-opener, noting that many women were discouraged by the high financial cost of politics.
Guest speakers Rakiya Shonekan and Binta Ayuba encouraged participants to remain courageous, resourceful and united as they prepare for future elections.
Among those who attended the programme were Kaduna State House of Assembly aspirants Tabitha Timothy and Alice Maikarfi, as well as Young Progressives Party (YPP) governorship candidate, Jamila Muhammad, who identified inadequate funding as a major challenge facing women seeking elective office.