The Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Husseini Baba Yusuf, has called for a fundamental rethink of Nigeria’s governance, insisting that women must hold more positions of influence if democracy is to deliver fair outcomes.

Speaking at the opening of the International Federation of Women Lawyers’ second quarter National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, the judge, represented by Justice Maryanne Anenih, framed women’s representation as a matter of fairness, institutional legitimacy and national development.

He said democratic systems worked best when they reflected the diversity of the people they served, and urged lawyers, judges and policymakers to use the law as a catalyst for inclusion, warning that institutions could not claim legitimacy while women were excluded from leadership.

In a keynote, former lawmaker and ex-diplomat Nkoyo Toyo said women still faced deeply entrenched legal, financial and cultural barriers to political participation, and urged them to contest elections, seek appointments and build influence, arguing that broader perspectives improved policymaking.

FIDA Abuja Chairperson Chioma Onyenucheya-Uko described the meeting as a strategic platform for advancing women’s rights and ensuring representation moved beyond numbers to real influence, urging participants to leave with actionable commitments capable of reshaping the political landscape.