By Hosanna Eseose
Women stakeholders in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) have called for stronger networks, greater economic empowerment and increased participation in governance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The call was made at an AMAC critical women stakeholders’ strategic town hall meeting in Abuja, where participants identified disunity, political sentiment and inadequate mutual support as challenges limiting women’s influence in governance.
The meeting, themed “Beyond Conversation: AMAC Women as Catalysts for Peace, Unity, Governance and Development Ahead of 2027,” was held on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
The Convener and Special Adviser to the AMAC Chairman on Women Affairs, Hon. Loveth Isekor, urged women to prioritise leadership capacity and competence rather than expect support solely on the basis of gender.
Isekor said women had the capacity to occupy decision-making positions but must also be prepared to support candidates based on their ability to deliver positive results.
The President of the National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS), FCT Chapter, Aisha Baba Ringo, also challenged women to move beyond conferences and communiqués by building practical networks capable of strengthening their political participation.
She urged women to support one another, overcome internal divisions and develop structures that would enhance their representation in governance.
Former FCT Senator, Distinguished Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda, CON, MFR, represented by the Director, Reforms Coordinator and Service Improvement, FCT Administration, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, called on women to assess political aspirants based on their records and demonstrated capacity.
Aduda also pledged support for initiatives that would expand access to affordable financing for women-owned businesses, vocational and digital training, maternal healthcare and a dedicated consultative platform for women across the six Area Councils.
Addressing the gathering, the Executive Chairman of AMAC, Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, urged women to form functional cooperatives to access municipal funding and empowerment programmes.
Maikalangu said his administration was prepared to release up to ₦30 million to registered women’s cooperative associations in Area 10 to support trade and small businesses across the council’s wards.
He also urged the women to work across party lines and focus on candidates capable of attracting federal projects and economic opportunities to the FCT.
The Creative Director of Gender Strategy at AIT, Dr. Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack, commended the launch of the LADDER Initiative, describing grassroots inclusion as important to ensuring that women remain economically and politically empowered beyond election cycles.
The stakeholders’ meeting ultimately emphasised the need for women in AMAC to combine political participation with economic empowerment, capacity building and sustained cooperation as the 2027 elections approach.
