Nigeria Ushers In a Gloomy International Women’s Day Celebration.

March is globally recognized as the month to celebrate women, honor their achievements, and advocate for their rights. This year, the United Nations theme, “For all women and girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment,” underscores the need for inclusivity and justice. Highlighting pioneers, cultural influencers, and creatives who are exceptional figures across industries, this period is a powerful reminder of women’s impact on society. 

However, this year’s celebration was yet another grim reminder that the safety of women doesn’t sit high on the priority lists of individuals and cooperatives alike. 

A particularly recent and ongoing example continues to unfold with Nigerian barrister and Senatorial Representative of Kogi State, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Who has laid an accusation of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Not surprisingly, this is not the first of such allegations; in 2020, former Acting, Managing Director of NDDC;Joy Nunieh accused him of sexual harassment, stating that she had to slap him in self-defense. She alleged that her refusal to yield to his advances led to her removal from office. Under normal democratic principles, such accusations should prompt a thorough and transparent investigation, but we’ve come to expect and accept less and less each time.

Instead of due process, Natasha faced a barrage of insults, including from Akpabio’s wife, who defended her husband with laughable defamation claims. A petition was filed by Senator Natasha, and in an all-too-familiar twist, the accuser, not the accused, was penalized. Natasha was suspended from office for six months. The Senate’s ruling reflects a deeper issue: the lack of solidarity among women, especially those in power. Many would rather align with the men in control than stand up for justice, proving yet again that individual ambition and fear often outweigh collective progress.

And just when you thought the week couldn’t get worse, another disgraceful episode unfolded. The invasion of Ikeja Electricity headquarters by the Nigerian Air Force over unpaid arrears of outstanding electricity bills amounting to millions. Shortly after the news broke, the Ikeja Electric Chief Executive Officer, Folake Soetan was reportedly bundled and locked in the trunk of a car. It was a chaotic display of lawlessness that further underscored how power operates in Nigeria: those with brute force dictate the rules.

Nigerian women, not unlike so many around the world, continue to live under unfair conditions, subject to the whims of their oppressors.