HomeWomen In Leadership In the Law - Nigeria

NIGERIA

Country Context
In Nigeria, achieving gender parity in both the state and federal systems remains a challenge. Women are only 33% of state court judges and 36% of federal. To date, Aloma Mariam Mukhtar is the first and so far only woman to have held the position of chief justice in Nigeria. The current President of the Court of Appeal Nigeria is Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem.

IAWJ & NAWJ–N’s Work

The National Association of Women Judges – Nigeria (NAWJ–N) believes that to effectively assess and address the current gender disparity, it is crucial to gather comprehensive data on state and federal judicial decision-making bodies. This information will serve as a foundation for evidence-based strategies to promote gender equity in judicial appointments and promotions. By identifying barriers to women’s advancement and working towards a more inclusive judicial system, NAWJ–N aims to promote a more enabling environment for women judges and to safeguard judicial integrity.
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Achieving gender parity within both the state and federal judicial systems in Nigeria remains a challenge. Women currently represent only 33% of state court judges and 36% of federal judges. From 2012 to 2014, Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar served as Nigeria's first female Chief Justice. In 2020, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem was nominated to be the President of the Court of Appeal. In August 2024, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun was appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria, marking another milestone for women in the judiciary.

In February 2025, the Judicial Equity and Representation Reform (JERR) program was launched by IAWJ in partnership with the National Association of Women Judges – Nigeria (NAWJ-N) to advance gender equality in Nigeria’s judiciary. The program tackles persistent structural, cultural, and institutional barriers that limit women’s leadership, focusing on policy reforms to eliminate discriminatory state-of-origin practices, implement gender quotas, and promote work-life balance for female judges—creating an enabling environment where women can rise, thrive, and lead.

Through targeted policy reforms and strategic partnerships with judicial leadership, JERR strengthens transparent recruitment and promotion processes, institutionalizes gender-sensitive policies, and highlights best practices that foster inclusion. Core interventions include supporting women judges during childbearing and early career stages, collaborating with justice-sector stakeholders, and establishing equitable appointment criteria to ensure that qualified women have access to leadership opportunities and can fully contribute to shaping Nigeria’s judiciary.

Regular updates will be provided here.