Women Politicians In Nigeria

"I believe that everyone has a part to play for us to build the Nigeria of our dream. We all have something to contribute towards the growth of a vibrant nation- be it time, skills or money."

"Initially, I felt like an alien from another planet. It was my sister who introduced me to him. He was a friend to the family even before he travelled abroad. Then, I had already graduated from the university and had started working. My sister became worried that I was always keeping to myself; I am naturally not an outgoing or sociable person. I love fashion and love to dress well. She match-made the two of us and we didn’t really have a long courtship before we married. I realised that it was a relationship that required seriousness and not one to play around with. For me, it is either a relationship is working from the beginning or not. He saw me and thought that I was a wife material. I was interested, too, and realised that he had a good job."

"Funding is the biggest challenge but it has not deterred us and that is one of the many reasons I am proud of our staff who have just been putting the best work into the commission. However, I do not complain about money because if you do, you will not get anything done but as we are growing at the commission, we need to be creative and we are already doing that."

"We look for platforms where they can make profitable investments in the country and we are here to guide them, most importantly, this is home for them and they will return at some point. We have a program where we target the younger generation of Nigerians abroad, they walk into this office with so much passion about their country, looking at what can be done to make improvements."

"Firstly, information is key and these countries have stronger rules and regulations guiding them which can even be found online. For instance in Dubai from a certain age range especially for men, the rules are very stringent. Also if you apply for a family visa and go without a family, you will be turned back."

"One of the initiatives focuses on investments because a lot of people in the diaspora have been sending money which sometimes disappears and nothing happens but through the initiative we guide them. We have a regular forum whereby they come together and Nigerians abroad are putting a lot of investments in the healthcare sector, agriculture, food business, education, ICT and we put all the figures together."

"Not many men can sincerely say they have been with only their partner for 10yrs without “playing”. It doesn’t make them bad people, it just makes them men."

"Leaving a man because he cheats is like relocating from Nigeria to America because of rain. News flash: it rains everywhere. Find a good man who loves you and appreciates you. Every other thing can be worked on. Men are naturally born to cheat. Look beyond this flaw and focus on how he treats you."

"My decision to venture into agriculture was a cross between me buying a house and buying hectares of land for farming. Of course I chose the latter. I invested in agriculture. Many people are missing out on opportunities for few social media validation. Don’t burn opportunities for few moments of comfort. Think long term. You are not in a race with nobody."

"To every little boy and girl out there dreaming, dream tall. Never let anyone stop you."

"True relevance comes only when you stop seeking validation from people. You say you don't care about what people think of you but it's a big fat lie. You do care. That is the reason you grant countless interviews about your ex. My dear, there's so much you can become without the shadow of your ex. Break free and abound. The future is so big. One advice for you, don't come for me when you see me, you'd be sorry. P.s my only response to you."

"Finding the exact words to match how I feel about the passage of Late Senator Abiola Ajimobi eludes me. A rude shock. To live is to leave, death is indeed the ultimate end of our sojourn on earth."

"He, who works hard, will stand before kings because I strongly believe that there is no nobility in poverty and it doesn’t matter where you’re from; immediately you substitute recklessness for diligence, your true potential becomes a reality."

"To say you have been a blessing to Lagos State and our country is simply saying the obvious. Your philanthropic gestures have helped to build hope, encouraged some people and motivated others. You have also remained an example of what a representative should be. Thank you for the roles you have played to make Lagos and Nigeria great."

"Senator Tinubu is an unrepentant progressive without any pretence and the book talks about how she has brought governance to her people and her achievements so far."

"That my wife is a senator today was not a programme I supported. They collected the form and told me if I am not running, then release your wife to run. Today, I am really proud that she is a senator because she has made the Lagos Central senatorial district a better place."

"“We have been blessed in this 9th assembly, when we look at us, it is not due to our cheerlock that we say that the president has passed through this place before, the vice president and also wife of the president and not only that , the Chief of Staff, the Deputy Chief of Staff and we also have deputy governors, a female , my colleague and my sister who is here today and what else can we say than God is good and we need to give so much to this nation.”"

"“At the time , I even thought that let me retire and begin to face my family because serving the nation takes a lot of sacrifice and it starts with a sacrifice from your home, your children, even your better half. It takes a lot of sacrifice to want to give time to serve the nation. At the same it’s a great privilege for all of us that are here”"

"“God sustained me for three terms, from the 7th assembly, 8th assembly and 9th assembly and I am still confused myself how I have been able to continue this journey.”"

"“I speak from my mouth to you how grateful I am. I never knew I would ever be in this place. I remember the first time I started this journey, I had press conference , a press man asked me why don’t you start from House of Rep, why did you want to go to the Senate but you know he is one of those after my first term who came back and commended me, we are friends today, when I see him , we will shake hands.”"

"“My husband is not a magician. He is going to work brick-by-brick, and I believe and have hope that you will have faith in this administration. The best is yet to come”"

"We are appealing to parliament to look at the issue of Diaspora voting because Nigerians are across the world. President Muhammadu Buhari is on board, but the ball is in the lawmaker’s court."

"It is a fact that Nigerian diasporas have the global exposure, resources, competences, and skills as well as the passion and linkages to be a catalysts for national development."

"This happened Saturday, as a result of a fracas, during a football match between African and Indian Students. The Nigerian mission immediately took custody of 86 Nigerian students, invited the representatives of the Indian government, got their commitment to ensuring the safety of the students who have reportedly fled the school after an altercation with their Indian counterparts."

"...You go to Indonesia, carry drugs, do cultism and come begging to be rescued from death sentence. Thank God for @ndlea_nigeria now saving people like you from death row."

"Ukraine, which also will answer the question in terms of how much spent on evacuation. I really can’t answer the question, because I don’t deal with money. All I know is that we didn’t receive one Kobo for evacuation whether it’s Ukraine, whether it’s South Africa, or Libya. NIDCOM, as an organization, did not get one kobo."

"Definitely, we can’t pretend that everything is perfect. This insecurity, by the grace of God, is a temporary thing with everything being put in place by the government."

"It’s about inter-agency collaboration. It is massive awareness. But I was surprised that somebody said to me last week that they went to somewhere they didn’t know; we have to get all those trying to hide under ‘we didn’t know.."

"You know that Mr. President cannot go to Parliament and say, you must do this; you must do that. He has said it severally that he is not against diaspora voting."

"As a new organization, it has been challenging but we give God the glory, having had very amazing people to work with, we have been able to set the issue of diaspora on the front burner, although there is a lot more to do especially regarding diaspora voting which I hope the next parliament will put on the front burner."

"“I know that Lagos State has many skill acquisition centres and that graduates of the centres are empowered with kits and some token. But if you train a woman as a florist, you must equip the woman with necessary kits. A lot of them have been accused of selling their kits. It is true. If I am not trained to be a hair dresser and you give me a kit for hair dresser, I will sell it.”"

"“As the only female member of the Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), Kemi Nelson continued to be part of the governance structure that led to the transformation of Lagos State into the Centre of Excellence it has become”."

"My prayer is that they should have twins. I wish them success."

"“In politics, men still believe that women will challenge their authority and so they are scared of competition, that is why they work against women’s interest during the elections.”"

"“RIP Chief Mrs. Kemi Nelson. Our great party has lost a front-line woman leader, democrat and urbane individual whose progressive politics positively inspired many.”"

"She” had touched so many lives and affected many lives. She means so many things to so may people. She played her part.”"

"“First and foremost, there is nothing that says a woman cannot be a president in Nigeria because we have women who could even perform better than the men but the African culture has really restrained our women, we are just coming out gradually. Men have started accepting the fact that we must have to share this space, that they must have to allow us share this space with them. And that it is a gradual process, I am sure you would be surprised that by the time we would have a female president, it is the men that would nominate them, you would be surprised. It is happening everywhere now.”"

"“We shall never forget Yeye Nelson. For her past sacrifice for Lagos and indeed Nigeria, she will be remembered. For her commitment to the womenfolk and the downtrodden, she will be celebrated.”"

"So the issue of relegating women to the background is a thing of the past, women are now fully aware that we are human beings, God created us."

"I am more concerned about the orientation of the family, especially for the girl child. I was also married quite early, but my parents knew the value of education, and it didn’t deter me from furthering it,” she said. “Marginalization of women in any form should be eradicated from the human space."

"I saw the area to be an interesting field, most especially as a woman, and as a mother. I thought the course would be useful to me, my children, and the community itself. Psychology is all about the study of human behaviour, the how, what and, when. By the time you meet with people, and you are able to draw insights from observing them, then half of the problem is solved."

"I will call on parents to really take the girl-child issues more serious, I will call on the government to also address the issue of girl-child education more seriously and I will call on the opinion leaders and the policy makers to really come up with policies that would really favour girl-child education. I pray that God Almighty Allah will widen the scope, open up our eyes, give us more knowledge, and more focus, more determination to see that the girl-child is really educated."

"I will use this opportunity to call on the parents to please look at the female children as they are looking after their male children, let them educate female children as they are educating male children, and they shouldn’t have the impression that females have lower intelligence level, because in some areas girls are even more intelligent than boys, and research has proved that."

"For parents generally, I will urge them to treat all their children equally because all human beings are equal before the Creator. There is no inferior or superior sex, we all have our weaknesses and we all have our strengths. And if you look at it critically I am happy that when you go out and begin to talk with people you would begin to hear women are more affectionate, compassionate, more understanding, they are more intelligent and parents are now beginning to appreciate their female children more than even the male children and that is good."

"First and formost, I am an advocate of girl-child education because I have seen the benefits, and I have been a role model to many young girls. I will call on the women in the state, the region and country in general to really be focused, to be determined to achieve the best in any condition and environment they found themselves."

"Well, there are so many challenges, both internal and outside your home. As a wife and mother there are internal challenges and many other issues to contend with; you go to the external places it is the same thing."

"We have been hearing our elders, our imams and malams preaching the gospel of truth, saying that it is not the religion of Islam that discourages participation of women in the pursuit of knowledge, because it is categorically stated that acquisition of knowledge is mandatory to every male and female child, so it is not religious, it is not, it is not Islam. If your religion has given you power, opportunity, and the go-ahead to seek knowledge where ever you can get it, then what is limiting you? The only problem is attitudinal and that we have to address and change."

"In addition, going by the free education policy, the only problem is that, how free is the free, when you find little charges?"

"We would be able to add something that would add value to their lives, so we need to have serious programmes that would really empower women in Nigeria, most especially in the north."

"What is expected doesn’t stop at just enrollment. We may have very high enrollment figures but in the area of monitoring and supervision, you find so many things falling apart. For instance, if you enroll a hundred girls this year, by the time you get to the second year, if there is no proper monitoring, you hardly get fifty girls.So what are we saying? What we need is not high enrollment figure but high retention figure, high completion figure and after completion, what next?"