Nigeria, April 24 -- Nigeria is a global force - home of Afrobeats, Nollywood, a surging tech scene, and the very future of Black excellence. We are bold, creative, unstoppable. But one part of our story remains painfully unfinished: the political exclusion of Nigerian women.

Right now, Nigeria ranks near the bottom of the world for women in parliament. Just 18 out of 469 federal lawmakers are women. That's 3.8 per cent - in a country where women make up nearly half the population. Let that sink in.

This isn't just a gender issue. It's a development emergency.

Nigerian women are not on the sidelines of society. They are its engine. They nurture families, heal communities, grow food, build businesses, lead classrooms, and drive our cult...