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Summary
Edo State has appointed Dr. Elizabeth Onome Ebosele as a new female cabinet member following public advocacy led by AdvoKC Foundation and Naija Feminist Media. With this appointment, women now make up 9.7% of the 31-member cabinet, still far from the 35% representation promised during the elections.
Following consistent advocacy led by AdvoKC Foundation and Naija Feminist Media, the Edo State Government appointed an additional woman, Dr Elizabeth Onome Ebosele, to the cabinet in September 2025. According to Promise Tracker NG, the action responds to mounting pressure from citizens who signed our petition and demanded that Governor Monday Okpebholo honour his commitment to women’s inclusion in leadership and transparent governance.
With three women now serving in a 31-member cabinet, representation stands at around 9.7%, still far below the 35% pledged during the election. That promise helped secure votes. It must now secure women their rightful seats at the table, not symbolic additions made only under public scrutiny.
Since our last call to action, over 50 more Nigerians have added their voices, with the petition currently recording 556 signatures and reflecting public insistence that campaign promises must be kept. We continue to call for a government that reflects its people. Women make up almost half of the population, with 49.3%. Their voices should be in all the rooms where decisions are made. Fair representation strengthens democracy and shows girls across Nigeria that leadership includes them and their futures. When women are in government, development is demonstrably more inclusive, equitable, and effective, leading to better overall societal outcomes and economic prosperity. Female leaders shift legislative priorities, drive structural policy reforms, and tend to manage resources in a way that maximises welfare for the broader community.
More Nigerians join this demand every day. Progress has begun, and the Governor must fulfil his promise by achieving 35% women’s representation in Edo State and actively developing a leadership structure where women no longer fight for space but fully participate in shaping society.
We urge citizens to keep signing and sharing the petition until the state delivers the full promise made to women.
In solidarity,
Naija Feminists Media
AdvoKC Foundation
