Gender Matters: Oyefusi Calls for a Woman as Lagos’ Next Governor

The time has come for a woman to head Nigeria’s commercial metropolis, according to Princess Abiodun Islamiat Oyefusi, who has called for the appointment of a female governor for Lagos State.

The megacity, driven by the aspirations of more than 20 million people, requires a new form of leadership based on empathy, inclusivity, and balance, she said, calling Lagos “a city of greatness, restless, ambitious, and unstoppable.”

She claims that Lagos, the commercial hub of West Africa and the beating heart of Nigeria, is at a turning point in its history.

“One indisputable fact becomes apparent as the city keeps expanding and changing: it is time for a woman to lead Lagos,” she declared.

A female governor, according to Oyefusi, who is an ardent supporter of gender inclusion in governance, would not only signify advancement but also mark the beginning of a new age of strategic and human-centered change.

She claims that Lagos has been fortunate to have competent male governors for many years, who have guided the state through waves of modernization, economic change, and urbanization.

The city still faces significant disparities in housing, healthcare, education, and opportunity, notwithstanding these advancements. The issues that still exist are profoundly human in nature rather than just administrative. And tackling them calls for empathy, equilibrium, and a fresh viewpoint in addition to infrastructure and policy.

“A female governor would symbolize strategic transformation in addition to symbolic change.”

Data continuously demonstrates that women in leadership roles produce inclusive, transparent, and long-lasting outcomes worldwide, according to Oyedusi. Women leaders, such as Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia and Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand, have shown a unique capacity to combine empathy and efficiency, vision and accountability, and compassion and competence.

Lagos needs that special kind of leadership that listens, works together, and inspires, since governance in Nigeria has far too frequently been characterized by aggressiveness, ego, and exclusion.

A woman’s approach to government inherently places a higher priority on issues that directly affect the standard of living for regular Lagosians, such as economic inclusion, healthcare, education, and communal well-being.

A female governor would be more inclined to see growth as people and potential rather than just as steel and concrete.

Despite this, women in Lagos are already driving the city’s economy; they are the backbone of the neighborhoods from Lekki to Alimosho, from Balogun Market to Yaba Tech.

They work as traders, inventors, couriers, educators, bankers, nurses, craftspeople, and business owners. They maintain the social cohesion of communities by managing homes and small enterprises.

However, they are underrepresented at the top, where it counts most. Despite making up more than half of Lagos’ population, women’s opinions are still mostly ignored when making executive decisions.

Disregarding the demography that powers the state is foolish and unfair. Choosing a female governor is a wise move, not a token gesture.

It is making use of the brilliance, tenacity, and leadership that Lagos women have previously demonstrated in every fields but the most important one: political power.

Lagos has expanded in height, breadth, and wealth. However, it now needs to become more inclusive, safer, and equitable. The people who use the roads and rails must be the focus of Lagos’s future growth, not just the infrastructure.

Who better to spearhead that change than a woman? A woman may relate to the everyday struggles of the market lady who gets up early, the mother who drives her child to school on dangerous roads, the nurse who experiences burnout in a public hospital, and the young girl who wants to be a techie but cannot afford data.

A female governor would make government more relatable. She would change the metric used to assess Lagos’ growth from kilometers of motorways to quality of life.

The public is sick of politics as usual, let’s face it. They are drawn to leaders who are sincere, compassionate, and moral. In public service, women have consistently demonstrated higher levels of integrity. Research from organizations such as the World Bank and the United Nations has demonstrated that female leaders are frequently more open, less corrupt, and more sensitive to the concerns of the populace.

Lagos, a state that has made great economic progress, now need moral capital and trustworthy leadership. Restoring that trust and redefining political leadership in Nigeria’s most significant state are both possible with a woman in charge.

“Nigeria’s future has always been guided by Lagos. It was at the forefront of creative industries, urban innovation, and the growth of the digital economy. Lagos has the opportunity to take the lead once more by electing the state’s first female governor.

This is about advancement, not simply gender. Lagos has the potential to lead the rest of Nigeria once more, demonstrating that vision and outcomes, not gender, define great leadership.

In addition to motivating females throughout the state, the female leader of Lagos will send a message to the entire nation that the days of gender inequality in politics are past.

“Infrastructure, technology, and innovation have been established by the current administration. The next stage calls for a change in governing culture in addition to continuity.

While shifting focus toward healthcare, education, young empowerment, and inclusivity, a female governor can maintain the momentum of progress. She can expand on current initiatives while reorienting them to prioritize the welfare and dignity of the populace.

She is essentially able to blend what has been lacking with what has been effective.

Oyefusi asserts that the time has come and that Lagos does not require a female governor out of altruism or sympathy. Because it makes strategic, ethical, and developmental sense, Lagos needs a female governor.

“The state that takes pride in its innovation and advancement cannot keep using the same leadership style and expecting different outcomes. Nigeria’s heart demands a new beat, one that is strong, inclusive, intelligent, and empathetic.

Lagos deserves to be touched by a woman—not as a token gesture, but as a momentous occasion. There must be a female governor of Lagos in the future. She must also succeed for the sake of all of us, not just the current governor.