Banking, Education Lead In Gender Leadership Acceptance — Report

Eighty-nine per cent of Nigerians are comfortable with a woman as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and 77 per cent of Nigerians are comfortable with a woman as Head of Government, a study has revealed.

This is contained in the 2025–2026 Reykjavík Index for Leadership, which measures perceptions of gender equality in leadership.

It shows that while most Nigerians see women as capable leaders, structural gaps prevent public perception from translating into real leadership opportunities.

The report shows that Nigeria’s overall index score rose slightly to 59 out of 100, up from 57 in 2024, driven primarily by more progressive attitudes among men.

It states that women’s scores remained at 61, while men’s scores increased from 53 to 56, narrowing the gender perception gap from
Eight points to five.

“The most notable shift came among older men (45–65), historically the most conservative demographic.

“Workplace equality beliefs hit five-year low despite the slight rise in the overall Index, the belief that equality has been achieved at work fell seven points, from 62 per cent in 2024 to 55 per cent in 2025.

” Men were more likely than women to report that equality has not been achieved, highlighting a gap between comfort with female leaders and the everyday workplace
realities.

“Childcare remains the deepest bias stronghold the Index measures perceptions across 23 sectors.

“Nigeria’s results show structural bias:Highest Scoring Sectors (Progress Zone): Banking & Finance (73);
Education (72); and Pharmaceutical/Medical Research (70)”, the report said.

Speaking on the report, an Advocacy Lead at Gatefield, Shirley Ewang said it highlights a stark disparity between comfort levels and actual representation.

“While most Nigerians are comfortable with a woman leading, women occupy only 12 pet cent of CEO roles and 4 per cent of National Assembly seats,” she said.

On her part, the CEO of Caring Africa, Blessing Adesiyan said:
“We expect women to carry the burden of care, but hesitate to see them as leaders shaping care
systems. When care is treated as private, informal work rather than public infrastructure, women’s
leadership in that space is systematically undervalued.

For Ekemini Akpakpan from WISCAR, there is public support for women but she lamented that institutional barriers are the obstacles.

She said: “Public support exists, but institutional barriers prevent women from claiming leadership. Our institutions must step up to ensure perception mirrors reality”.

“Society is ready, but the system must follow. The real barrier is no longer public opinion, but the
policies and structures that determine who gets into positions of power,” said Rachel Pindar, from the Nigerian Governors Forum Secretariat.

Omowunmi Akingbohungbe from WIMBIZ said: “Nigeria must properly support sectors powered by women. This can unlock jobs, strengthen the creative economy, and add billions to national economic output”.