The Women and Youth Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is unhappy because two men were chosen as leaders for the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry.
On Tuesday, people from the group went to the National Assembly in Abuja. They held up signs with messages like “Men Are Not Compassionate Enough To Run the Humanitarian Ministry,” “We Say No To Women Discrimination,” and “Humanitarian Ministry is Not For Political Compensation.”
Jennifer Raymond, who leads the group, said that picking men for these jobs isn’t fair. She wants President Bola Tinubu to think about including more people to make it fairer.
The group talked about how Nentawe Yilwatda was chosen as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, and Chief Ayuba Gufwan was picked as Executive Secretary of the National Commission for People Living with Disabilities. Both of them are from the same place, Plateau State.
The group feels that choosing two men from the same place isn’t right because Nigeria has a rule called “federal character.” This rule is supposed to give everyone a fair chance from different parts of Nigeria.
The women say that choosing leaders should show how many different people live in Nigeria. They think it’s important to have both men and women from different places, especially for roles that deal with helping people and fighting poverty.
They believe that having only men in these important jobs can ignore the needs of women and children who need help the most during hard times.
Research shows that when there are men and women leading together, they can handle problems better. Women bring new ideas and ways to fix problems that can help more in tough situations.
So, having a mix of people from different backgrounds isn’t just a good idea; it’s smart for making sure the ministry works well in handling Nigeria’s big challenges.
Jennifer Raymond says it’s important for leaders to show Nigeria’s diversity. She asks President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider appointing a skilled woman leader with experience in helping people for a top role in the Humanitarian Ministry. This can help make sure the ministry addresses Nigeria’s problems well for everyone.