Lagos Deputy Speaker Urges More Women and Youth in Political Leadership

The Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Meranda, has urged greater involvement of women and young people in politics to ensure that leadership reflects the diversity of the population. She emphasized that inclusive governance strengthens decision-making and promotes fairness in public service.

Meranda spoke about the need for structural reforms and supportive policies that encourage underrepresented groups to take on leadership roles. She highlighted the Gender Composition Bill as a key step toward achieving better representation for women in both elective and appointive positions.

The deputy speaker also called for mentoring and awareness programmes to help women and youth gain the skills and confidence needed to participate actively in politics. She stressed that such initiatives are essential to nurture the next generation of capable leaders.

Advocacy groups working with Meranda welcomed her support, noting that concrete reforms and collaboration between government and civil society are critical to closing long-standing gaps in political representation and creating a more inclusive political environment.