Nigerian Women Have Only Two-Thirds of Men's Legal Rights Despite Reforms – Report

A new report has revealed that women in Nigeria enjoy only two-thirds of the legal rights available to men, highlighting persistent gender inequality despite recent legislative reforms aimed at improving women's status.

The findings, published in the latest Women, Business and the Law report, indicate that Nigeria has made limited progress in closing the gender gap in legal protections across key areas including workplace rights, property ownership, and access to justice.

The assessment measured eight indicators affecting women's economic participation, including mobility, workplace, pay, marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship, assets, and pension. Nigeria scored particularly poorly in areas relating to property rights and inheritance laws, where customary practices often override statutory protections for women.

While the country has implemented some reforms in recent years, including the enactment of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act in 2015, the report notes that implementation remains weak and many discriminatory laws remain on the books at both federal and state levels.

Women's rights advocates say the findings underscore the need for more comprehensive legal reforms and stronger enforcement mechanisms to ensure that women can fully participate in the economy without facing systemic barriers.

The gender gap in legal rights has significant economic implications for Nigeria. Research consistently shows that gender equality in law is associated with higher female labour force participation, increased economic productivity, and improved development outcomes for families and communities.

In the workplace, Nigerian women continue to face restrictions that their male counterparts do not encounter, including limitations on employment in certain sectors and inadequate protections against workplace harassment. The report notes that Nigeria has yet to fully address these disparities.

Property rights represent another area of significant concern. In many parts of Nigeria, women face barriers to owning and inheriting land and property, particularly under customary law systems that predominate in rural areas. These restrictions limit women's ability to use assets as collateral for business loans.

The report calls on the Nigerian government to accelerate efforts to repeal discriminatory laws and ensure that existing gender equality legislation is effectively implemented across all 36 states of the federation.