Nearly nine in 10 Nigerians express comfort with women leading major companies, yet institutional barriers continue to limit women’s access to leadership positions, according to the 2025/2026 Nigeria Leadership Readiness Brief of the Reykjavik Index for Leadership. The report, presented by advocacy group Gatefield, reveals a significant gap between public attitudes and actual outcomes in both corporate and political spheres.
Nigeria’s overall leadership readiness score rose slightly to 59 in 2025 from 57 in 2024, suggesting increasing public confidence in women’s leadership capabilities. The index found that 89 percent of Nigerians are comfortable with women serving as Chief Executive Officers of major companies, while 77 percent support women as political leaders. Men’s perceptions also improved, with the male index rising from 53 to 56, driven largely by older men expressing stronger support.
Despite these gains, only 55 percent of Nigerians believe gender equality has been achieved in the workplace, creating a 34-point gap between leadership acceptance and perceived equality at work. This indicates that public attitudes are no longer the primary barrier, but rather institutions have been slow to convert societal acceptance into tangible opportunities.
The study recorded a significant decline in perceptions of workplace equality, falling from 62 percent in 2024 to 55 percent in 2025. Shirley Ewang, Gatefield’s advocacy lead, suggested this may reflect either economic pressures disproportionately affecting women or increased awareness of gender discrimination as more women speak publicly about workplace barriers.
Perceptions vary across sectors. Banking, finance, education and pharmaceuticals ranked strongest for gender equity, while childcare recorded the lowest score at 33 points, placing it 40 points below banking and finance. Fashion and beauty scored 46 points, despite Nigeria’s fashion industry generating billions annually and being largely women-led.
The report highlights a sharp divide between corporate and political representation. Women occupy 31.1 percent of board seats in Nigeria’s largest companies, but hold only 4.2 percent of parliamentary seats. Yet public opinion appears far more supportive, with 77 percent comfortable with a female head of state.
Experts at the briefing stressed the need for stronger institutional reforms. Blessing Adesiyan of Caring Africa noted that sectors linked to caregiving are often undervalued despite being women-driven. Ekemini Akpakpan of WISCAR said sectors like banking show how intentional policies, including quotas, can drive progress.
The findings align with the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2026 report, which gave Nigeria 50 out of 100 on legal frameworks for gender equality but only 21.7 out of 100 on supportive policies and infrastructure. The report also revealed Nigeria’s zero score on the Parenthood indicator, reflecting the absence of federal legislation mandating paid maternity leave or protections against dismissing pregnant workers.
