Nigerians overwhelmingly believe women are capable of leading across business, politics, and critical sectors.
This is contained in the 2025–2026 Reykjavík Index for Leadership, which measures perceptions of gender equality in leadership.
The report shows that while most Nigerians see women as capable leaders, structural gaps prevent public perception from translating into real leadership opportunities.
Nigeria’s overall index score rose slightly to 59 out of 100, up from 57 in 2024, driven primarily by more progressive attitudes among men.
The report noted that while Nigeria’s gender leadership index rises, the workplace equality perceptions fall.
…High comfort with female leaders, low representation
In the same vein, 89% of Nigerians are comfortable with a woman CEO, and 77% of Nigerians are comfortable with a woman as Head of Government.
“While most Nigerians are comfortable with a woman leading, women occupy only 12% of CEO roles and 4% of National Assembly seats,” said Shirley Ewang, Advocacy Lead at Gatefield. “This highlights a stark disparity between comfort levels and actual representation.”
…Men driving perception gains
For the first time since Nigeria joined the Index, improvements are largely driven by men. Women’s scores remained at 61, while men’s scores increased from 53 to 56, narrowing the gender perception gap from eight points to five.
The most notable shift came among older men (45–65), historically the most conservative demographic.
…Workplace equality beliefs hit five-year low
Despite the slight rise in the overall Index, the belief that equality has been achieved at work fell seven points, from 62% in 2024 to 55% in 2025.
Men were more likely than women to report that equality has not been achieved, highlighting a gap between comfort with female leaders and everyday workplace realities.
…Childcare remains the deepest bias stronghold:
The Index measures perceptions across 23 sectors. Nigeria’s results show structural bias:
The highest scoring sectors (Progress Zone) were Banking & Finance (73), Education (72); and Pharmaceutical/Medical Research (70).
Also, lowest Scoring Sectors (Bias Strongholds) were Childcare (33) -lowest overall, Fashion & Beauty (46); and Engineering (46).
Childcare sits 13 points below the next lowest sector and 40 points below banking. Notably, some of the biggest improvements this year occurred in traditionally male-dominated industries: Aerospace (+9) and Automotive Manufacturing (+6).
.…Family and upbringing most influential on leadership views
When asked what shapes their views on women in leadership, 30% of Nigerians cited family and upbringing, 18% education, 16% personal experience, and 9% each for media and religion. No significant differences were found between men and women.
…Nigeria near Germany, below G7 average
Nigeria’s score of 59 places it just below Germany (60), ahead of Kenya (56), but below the G7 average of 68 and far behind global leader Iceland (86). The G7 average is at its lowest since 2018, signaling a decline in global perceptions of gender leadership.
…Expert insights
“We expect women to carry the burden of care, but hesitate to see them as leaders shaping care systems. When care is treated as private, informal work rather than public infrastructure, women’s leadership in that space is systematically undervalued,” said Blessing Adesiyan, CEO of Caring Africa.
“Public support exists, but institutional barriers prevent women from claiming leadership. Our institutions must step up to ensure perception mirrors reality,” said Ekemini Akpakpan, WISCAR. “Banking, finance, education, and medical research rank highest for gender equity, demonstrating that intentional policies, such as the Central Bank of Nigeria’s quota for women in leadership, can drive measurable progress.”
“Society is ready, but the system must follow. The real barrier is no longer public opinion, but the policies and structures that determine who gets into positions of power,” said Rachel Pindar, NGF.
“Nigeria must properly support sectors powered by women. This can unlock jobs, strengthen the creative economy, and add billions to national economic output,” said Omowunmi Akingbohungbe, WIMBIZ.
“Government and political leaders must enforce merit, set targets, and hold each other accountable because without women in leadership, our democracy cannot reach its full potential,” said Itunu Hunga, WILAN.
