Gender in Nigeria’s development discourse: relevance of gender statistics

Abstract

In spite of the various regional and international initiatives to promote gender equality, Africa remains a continent with poor gender statistics. This paper presents a reflective explorative discourse on the status of gender and gender statistics in Nigeria, using secondary data as well as a rapid assessment of six key organisations identified as drivers of the “gender agenda”. Our study shows that organisations and sectors mandated to provide leadership for the production and use of gender statistics in Nigeria lack basic technical competencies and show very little commitment to the engendering process. Production and access to gender statistics is still plagued by misunderstanding of the concept of gender as a planning tool, especially in the non-traditional sectors which have remained the domain of men. Extensive capacity building on gender statistics is necessary and urgent so as to document and begin to address the systemic imbalance caused by gender inequality both at national and regional levels; and to attain international goals on gender statistics. Advancing the goals of gender statistics in Nigeria is prime to its development agenda.