FACT-CHECK: Are there more women in national parliament in Afghanistan than Nigeria?

News publication that Afghanistan has more women in parliament than Nigeria, credited to a former spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has generated reactions from the public. The report, published by major news platforms in Nigeria, including The Cable newspaper on October 24, 2019, was titled: “Bolaji Abdullahi: Afghanistan has more women […]

News publication that Afghanistan has more women in parliament than Nigeria, credited to a former spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has generated reactions from the public.

The report, published by major news platforms in Nigeria, including The Cable newspaper on October 24, 2019, was titled: “Bolaji Abdullahi: Afghanistan has more women in parliament than Nigeria”

 

THE CLAIM

The report, published by The Cable on October 24, 2019, claimed that Bolaji Abdullahi, an ex-spokesman of the ruling APC said that “Afghanistan has more women in its national parliament than Nigeria.”

In a paper he delivered at the Osasu show symposium in Abuja, Abdullahi said that Nigeria was ranked “180 out of 192 countries for having only 20 women of 360-member House of Representatives and 7 of 109 Senators, representing a dismal 5.6% and 6.4% respectively” by a report of Women in National Parliaments.

In the paper entitled, ‘the 21st Century Woman and Her Role in National Development: Challenges and Prospects for Women Political Participation in Nigeria,’ Abdullahi added that all African countries are better rated than Nigeria in terms of women representation in parliament.

 

THE CHECK

A fact-check investigation by Daily Trust confirmed that Bolaji Abdullahi’s assertion that Afghanistan has more women in the national parliament than Nigeria is FACTUAL and CORRECT, though the figure he quoted for women in Nigeria’s House of Representatives is INCORRECT, as the number is actually lower than what he claimed. However, the number of women in the Nigerian Senate is CORRECT, as he claimed.

Data obtained from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), (based on information provided by National Parliaments as of 1st September, 2019, according to the IPU website) shows that women occupied 68 seats out of the 244 seats available in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Lower House (a.k.a. Wolesi Jirga), making it 27.87 percent since October 2018 when parliamentary election was conducted in that country. (See the screenshot from IPU’s website below):

It further shows that 17 women are in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Upper House (Senate) (a.k.a. Meshrano Jirga) out of the 68 seats occupied by lawmakers elected since January 2015, making it 25 percent.

Also, data obtained from the same IPU regarding Nigeria shows that as of 1st September, 2019, twelve women are in the 355-member House of Representatives (though it’s 360-members statutorily) as against the 20 claimed by Abdullahi.

However, the IPU data confirmed that only seven women are in the Nigerian Senate, based on data it said it received from Nigeria’s National Assembly. (See the screenshot from IPU’s website below):

Moreover, data obtained from Nigeria’s National Assembly website shows that the current members of its House of Representatives are 356 in number while that of the Senate are 109, including Senator Dino Melaye whose election was nullified by the court few weeks ago.

The data revealed that 12 women are currently in Nigeria’s lower parliament (House of Reps). They are: Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga (APC, Ogun); Hon. Aishatu Jibril Dukku (APC, Gombe); Hon. Beni Butmak Lar (PDP, Plateau); Hon. Blessing Onyeche Onuh (APGA, Benue); Hon. Boma Goodhead (PDP, Rivers) ; Hon. Khadija Waziri Bukar Abba Ibrahim     (APC, Yobe); Hon. Lynda C. Chuba Ikpeazu (PDP, Anambra); Hon. Nkeiruka Chidubem Onyejeocha (APC, Abia); Hon. Ogunlola Omowumi Olubunmi (APC, Ekiti); Hon. Taiwo Olukemi Oluga (APC, Osun); Hon. Tolulope Tiwalola Akande-Sadipe (APC, Oyo); and Hon. Zainab Gimba (APC, Borno).

Meanwhile, the seven women in the Senate, according to the National Assembly’s website, are: Sen. Adaeze Stella Oduah (PDP, Anambra); Sen. Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (APC, Adamawa); Sen. Akon Etim Eyakenyi        (PDP, Akwa Ibom); Sen. Ekwunife Lilian Uche (PDP, Anambra); Sen. Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rivers); Sen. Rose Okoji Oko (PDP, Cross River); and Sen. Oluremi Shade Tinubu (APC, Lagos).

Similarly, data obtained from IPU shows that all African countries are better rated than Nigeria in terms of women representation in parliament, with Rwanda leading with 61.25 percent in the Lower House and 38.46 percent in the Upper House (or Senate), followed by Namibia and South Africa.

However, Nigeria was ranked “186 out of 193 countries” assessed in the IPU’s global and regional averages of the percentage of women in parliament as of 1st September, 2019.