Of the 40 ministers and one cleared ministerial nominees, 13 are women, a major milestone in women’s campaign for more involvement in governance.
The number of female appointees in the cabinet represents about 31 percent of the 42-member cabinet. It may even be more as the president is yet to replace the rejected ministerial nominee from Taraba State, Dr. Obadiah Ando, whose replacement could be a woman.
In the new cabinet led by Jonathan, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is expected to run the Ministry of Finance and will be given more responsibilities to superintend the economy in an expanded role, has been cleared by the senate but she has not taken her oath of office, as she is yet to disengage finally from her job as the managing director of the World Bank.
Other female members of the cabinet are Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke (Petroleum Resources), Prof Ruqayyatu Rufai (Education), Mrs. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi (Aviation), Mrs. Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafa (Environment), Mrs. Omobola Johnson Olubusola, (Communication Technology) and Ms. Ama Pepple (Lands and Housing)
Others are Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe (Water Resources), Hajiya Zainab Maina (Women Affairs and Social Development) Hajiya Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi (Minister of State, Niger Delta Affairs), Prof. Viola Onwuliri (Minister of State Foreign Affairs), Erelu Olusola Obada (Minister of State, Defence) and Ms. Olajumoke Akinjide (Minister of State for FCT).
Some of the appointees are not only leading lights in their chosen professions, they have impeccable pedigrees.
Although the number of female ministers in the cabinet is slightly below the 35 percent benchmark women were clamouring for in line with affirmative action, it is within the ambit of the 1995 affirmative action of the Beijing conference in China and international instruments that the nation is a signatory to and a major leap in the nation’s history.
The affirmative action stipulates 30 percent women representation in government. However, the first lady raised it to 35 percent to give more room for women in governance.
Not only has Jonathan appointed more women into cabinet positions than his 13 predecessors, both military and civilian, in Nigeria’s 50 years of independence, he assigned them to some of the most critical ministries to the economy and his transformational agenda.
Throughout his eight years in office, former President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed only nine women, including Okonjo-Iweala, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, Dr. Kema Chikwe and Prof. Joy Ogwu, into his cabinet.
Can these women deliver? We know how Nigeria can where women are involved, will these women gain the support they need to prove themselves?
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