Nigeria Joins BRICS, But Leaves Women Behind

On March 21, 2025, Namibia made history. The nation swore in Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as its first female president, marking a powerful step toward gender equity in African politics (Associated Press, 2025). While Namibia moves forward, Nigeria lags behind. Despite its size, influence, and democratic credentials, Nigeria continues to exclude women from meaningful political participation. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension from the Senate and her determined effort to seek justice expose how deeply entrenched patriarchy still defines Nigeria’s political terrain. These internal failures now threaten to undermine the legitimacy of Nigeria’s newly secured role as a BRICS partner nation.

The Nigerian Constitution (1999) prohibits gender-based discrimination and guarantees equal political rights. The National Gender Policy (2006) even recommends a 35% affirmative action quota for women in public office. Yet Nigeria has failed to act. Women hold fewer than 10% of seats in the National Assembly, and that number continues to drop (Associated Press, 2024). This isn’t a passive oversight. Political parties, security forces, and legislative institutions actively gatekeep women’s access to power.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s case reveals this reality. In February 2025, she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment. A case, she said, occurred in December 2023. Rather than investigate the claim, the Senate punished her. On March 6, 2025, they suspended her for six months, blocked her salary, and barred her from participating in Senate activities (Associated Press, 2025b). The leadership framed the punishment as a disciplinary measure, but the timing sent a different message: when women speak up, Nigeria shuts them down.

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has refused to stay silent. She took legal action in Nigeria, filing a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja on March 4, 2025, to stop the Senate from investigating her without due process. When the Senate pressed forward anyway, she turned to international platforms. On March 26, 2025, she spoke at the United Nations during an Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) session in New York. She called for global attention to the gender-based injustice unfolding in Nigeria’s legislature. The IPU has since considered inviting Akpabio to respond (BusinessDay, 2025).

Her case has gained strong support from Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, former Vice President of the World Bank and co-founder of Transparency International. Ezekwesili’s voice carries global weight. By backing Akpoti-Uduaghan, she signals to multilateral institutions and global observers that Nigeria’s political system cannot or will not protect women in public life. This support places Nigeria in a difficult position. The world is watching a high-ranking woman be punished for speaking out. The reputational damage is growing.

On January 18, 2025, Nigeria officially joined the BRICS bloc as a partner country, marking a major milestone in its foreign policy and multilateral engagement strategy. With that status comes scrutiny. BRICS positions itself as an alternative to Western power structures and claims to champion equitable development. However, that vision falters when member countries suppress the voices of women. Nigeria cannot occupy a seat at the BRICS table while violating the basic democratic tenets it claims to uphold.

To be fair, BRICS nations struggle with gender equity too. India continues to battle political violence against women. China and Russia restrict civic freedoms, including women’s advocacy. Even South Africa, despite having strong gender quotas, faces rampant gender-based violence. Nigeria may find itself ideologically aligned with the bloc’s internal contradictions. But if BRICS wants to maintain moral credibility, someone in the alliance must set a higher standard. Why not Nigeria?

Nigeria must choose. It can either settle into a bloc that tolerates symbolic inclusion and systemic exclusion, or it can lead by example and fulfill the promise of its gender equity commitments. The world won’t judge Nigeria solely by its GDP. It will judge Nigeria by how it treats its women.

Nigeria finds itself at a crossroads. Namibia is moving forward. Nigeria is punishing women who demand accountability. If Nigeria wants to lead in the Global South, it must act like a leader at home. That starts with reinstating Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, thoroughly investigating her claims, and reforming institutions that reward silence and punish truth.

Her case is no longer just about her. Her appeal to the UN is a litmus test for Nigeria’s democracy. What the Senate does next will tell the world whether Nigeria is ready for global leadership or content with domestic impunity.

BRICS will move on. The question is: will Nigeria lead, or just follow?