By J. Archibong
In Nigeria, women comprise half of the population. The majority of them live in rural areas and make their living through casual labor and subsistence farming. Nigerian women are incredibly resourceful, hardworking, and full of potential.
Many of them manage, maintain, and support their families as the primary breadwinners in their households. They purchase food, goods, agricultural products, and other commodities at the bush market, sell their wares, and then transport them to the urban marketplaces to be sold. This is carried out in the face of challenging road conditions, hazardous terrain, the possibility of accidents, and the fear of armed robbery.
Additionally, women have entered previously male-only spheres of endeavor and profession. Despite difficulties and barriers, professional women have made their way into practically every industry, albeit in relatively modest numbers. With their earnings, women can support and feed their families, pay school tuition, pay housing rent, supplement their husbands’ income, and handle other financial duties that have historically been the domain of men.
Like women everywhere else in the globe, Nigerian women encounter prejudice, exclusion, and difficulties in all facets of human endeavor. Every day, they are subjected to trafficking, abuse, assault, and other atrocities. If the Nigerian woman is empowered and given the proper conditions and surroundings for self-actualization, she can accomplish much more than she has so far.
If the Nigerian woman is empowered and given the proper conditions, she can accomplish far more than she has thus far. The majority work in agriculture and live in rural areas. Many of them are educated but unemployed. Even those who are capable of starting their own businesses lack the funds to do so. If these women are given financial support and their potential is properly utilized, they can accomplish a great deal. If intentional and coordinated efforts are directed toward women’s empowerment programs, they can realize their vision, accomplish their goals, manifest their true and natural assets, and fulfill their destiny.
The Women for Change and Development Initiative (W4CDI) was started by First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan in response to the numerous issues and difficulties that Nigerian women face. Its goal was to stop the problems and address them while also offering them support and palliative care.
Dame Patience Jonathan was the First Lady of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. She was born in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to the family of Chief Lazarus Iwari-Oba. She has extensive work experience and has held important responsibilities, which she has discharged creditably.
She has a long history of humanitarian work, public service, and advocacy, particularly for women and children. She has always been a foot soldier in the fight for women’s empowerment and an advocate for the rights, growth, and advancement of children and youth. In June 2025, she graduated from Ignatius Ajuru University of Education with a PhD in Psychology (Guidance & Counselling).
Gender mainstreaming
Indeed, the initiative of Dame Patient Jonathan marked a new dawn as far as issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment are concerned. The Goodluck Administration was dedicated to gender mainstreaming. As aptly noted by Dame Patience Jonathan:
“The present administration is fully committed to gender mainstreaming at all levels of governance. The administration of His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, no doubt holds the record as the most gender-friendly administration in the history of the country. By this, President Goodluck Jonathan has demonstrated his confidence in the capacity of women to excel in public duty.”
The First Lady spearheaded the campaign for gender mainstreaming, which had produced this unprecedented result. According to her: “This was manifested in the decision of the administration to honour the advocacy for 35% affirmative action, which I was privileged to lead nationwide. As a result, for the first time in the history of independent Nigeria, women are not only heard loudly, but also seen clearly in the business of governance.”
The First Lady was a strong advocate of women’s empowerment, and this includes gender equality. Gender equality, which has now become a global issue, can easily promote change and development as well as help in attaining cohesion and stability in societies.” According to the First Lady, “it is my firm belief that an equal participation of our men and women in the development of our nation will certainly help in bringing about the desired change in our society, strengthening our economy, and making Nigeria a country to be proud of.”
If Nigeria must join the group of major economies and if women should play greater roles in nation-building, attention should be paid to gender equality. The First Lady wanted women to be an integral part of Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation programmes. In this regard, women should be involved in decision-making and strengthening the nation’s economy.
Dame Patience Jonathan had consistently, and at different fora, urged the National Assembly to pass into law the National Gender Equality Affirmative Policy on 35 percent women representation.She has taken the campaign for women’s empowerment to the National Assembly with a passionate appeal to the legislators to pass legislation on Affirmative Action to ensure and guarantee 35 percent political participation for women in the leadership of the country.
One of her cardinal programmes was the political empowerment of women. In furtherance of this agenda, she had implored women in Nigeria to vie for elective positions in 2015.
Women for Change and Development Initiative (W4CDI)
Initiatives for women’s empowerment are not a recent development in Nigeria. It has existed for some time under several names and under various administrations. However, what was fresh and distinct was that Dame Patience Jonathan had achieved tangible, realistic, and visible results instead of just lip service and rhetoric. She made the decision to take charge and confront the difficulties of guiding women out of their ruts and into the promised land of prosperity, self-worth, and self-actualization. Mrs. Jonathan believes that women’s contributions to society should be honored. However, the First Lady believed that she had empowered women in addition to celebrating them.
The activities, policies, and programs of President Goodluck Jonathan’s government aimed at women, children, and the underprivileged were in accordance with Dame Patience Jonathan’s campaign for women’s empowerment. It was also congruent with the achievement of the worldwide Millennium Development Goals.
The First Lady’s empowerment programs were designed to assist women in realizing their full potential.
The desire of Dame Patience Jonathan to ensure gender equality led to the setting up of Women for Change and Development Initiative (W4CDI).
She is committed to working with the NGO to end violence against women, work for increased opportunities for women, and improve the lives of women in the areas of health, economic development, education, and self-reliance. Women for Change and Development Initiative seeks to improve women economically, socially, and politically. Through its advocacy, Nigeria for the first time had more women in elective and appointive positions.
She believed that when women and youths are educated, economically empowered, and their voices are heard, they could contribute significantly to the development of their societies.
Women for Change and Development Initiative (W4CDI) was inaugurated in Abuja on 16th July 2010 at the Women Development Centre, Abuja. Its objectives include support for women seeking positions of leadership; restoration of the dignity of the Nigerian woman; bringing to an end all forms of violence and discrimination against women; and educating women, especially the girl child.
W4CDI was not a political organization and has no political affiliation. It is non-partisan and open to all Nigerian women.
The programme of action would include adopting the standard set out in CEDAW, and women speaking out against violence, social ills, and vices, embarking on dissemination and advocacy. According to Dame Patience Jonathan, “My ultimate goal in all parts of the country is to enlighten women and children to encourage their husbands so that we all live in peace with one another, which brings about meaningful development.”
Wives of governors were to take the campaign for having more women in appointive and elective positions.
W4CDI was launched in various states across the nation as an instrument to attract positive change in the lives of Nigerian women. When the organization was launched in Cross River State, it witnessed a massive turnout of women. Dame Patience Jonathan said meaningful development could only be achieved if there was peace and cooperation. W4CDI, she said, is to assist women to take their rightful place in the scheme of things, take charge of their destiny, address the challenges confronting women, secure quality life for them, and ensure effective women’s representation in Nigeria.
At the launch of the W4CDI in Cross River State, Mrs. Jonathan also counseled Nigerians against vices such as kidnapping, child marriage, human trafficking, and teenage pregnancy, among others. She urged mothers to teach their children good morals and women to participate in the electoral process so as to have their voices heard.
At the launch in Cross River State, the wife of the governor, Mrs. Obioma Liyel Imoke, decried the marginalization of women in decision-making over the years. According to her, “For long, women have been marginalized and hindered from participating to full capacities in societal transformation and decision-making… But I am glad to announce to Nigeria, a New Dawn is upon the women of Nigeria with your esteemed vision, 35 percent affirmative action regarding women in politics and general emancipation of womenfolk.”
The Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, while lauding Dame Patience Jonathan for her untiring efforts at improving the lives of women, stated that 35 percent is not a big number considering the fact that women constitute 50 percent of the population and they are a veritable tool for economic development in the society. On her part, the wife of the governor, Mrs. Obioma Liyel Imoke, lauded Dame Patience Jonathan for her unwavering efforts and tenacity in the campaign for gender equality.
The W4CDI had come to stay as a “platform to fulfill the dreams and aspirations of Nigerian Women” since it was launched on 16th July, 2010. A statement from the group described it as “A socio-cultural organization that seeks to better the lot of the Nigerian woman economically, socially, and politically.” “It is our desire to ensure the upliftment of our teeming urban and rural women, the less privileged and the disadvantaged in our society, and to assist them to live a life of comfort and total well-being.”
And as to the membership of the W4CDI, the statement says that “our organization is open to all, irrespective of tribe, religion, or political party affiliation. It is a haven for all women, where collectively we can discuss strategies and chart a way forward for ourselves and our nation.”
The W4CDI had been functioning as a non-governmental, non-profit organization for women aged 18 and above.
W4CDI in action
Training of female drivers
The first lady was constantly coming up with new ways to empower women. She uses a variety of creative ways to stay on track with her goal of empowering women. The Lady Chauffeur Training Scheme (LCTS) was another program that her NGO, W4CDI, had described in collaboration with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
Training female commercial drivers who would operate in the FCT and its environs was the goal. Women are inherently more subdued, considerate, delicate, and cautious. It was anticipated that they would apply these unique qualities to the FCT’s roadways and surrounding areas. The first lady claimed that this would alter the way people drove on public roadways.
At first, she was hopeful about the results of her endeavor with 200 female trainees. “I am confident that when this first batch of 200 ladies completes their training, Abuja and its environs will notice a change in driving culture and attitude on the roads and highways. These young ladies are expected to become change agents by bringing the feminine virtues of caring, carefulness, and, of course, patience to bear on the way we conduct ourselves on the road. This is in line with my NGO’s objective, which, since inception, has graduated more than 4,000 trainees who were trained free and given starter packs to enable them to begin their own business.”
“Therefore, I urge you ladies to put in your best and embrace the training with all sense of responsibility,” she said, urging the beneficiaries to take full advantage of the opportunity. The first lady promised that the two months of intense instruction would greatly enhance their sense of empowerment.
Empowerment of women in Rivers State
Dame Patience Jonathan also empowered 1,380 women in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, under the auspices of W4CDI. The beneficiaries were drawn from the 23 local government areas of the state. Each of the LGAs was given tools comprising 30 sewing machines, 20 tomato paper milling machines, and 10 cassava milling machines. “We are here to empower women so that they can support our men. If the need arises to pay school fees or even buy seasoning, the women will be up to the task.”
At the empowerment programme for 1,300 women in Port Harcourt, Dame Patience Jonathan urged women to unite in view of the fact that they were one. “The W4CDI cuts across parties. We are one; here we speak with one voice. Let us stay united. If we stay united, we can move forward and well achieve the 35 percent we’ve been clamouring for.”
Improving the aesthetics of Abuja
In the bid to improve the aesthetics of Abuja and improve environmental protection & preservation, the W4CDI launched a scheme to employ hundreds of women in 2013 to take part in the landscaping, tree planting, and beautification of the Abuja Airport Road. Most of the women conveyed their joy over the job opportunity provided for them by the first lady. The job would last for one year, and the women would be paid N20,000 a month for the duration.
She continued to receive powerful prayers from beneficiaries of her empowerment programmes. One of the 700 women who benefited from her job creation and empowerment scheme said, “I am happy to be employed even if it is for a short period. My family and I will be empowered for the next year.” And another said that it was the first time she was benefiting from the government, and she was grateful.
Empowerment Centre at Uniport
Patience Jonathan Centre for Gender and Women Development Studies (PJC-GWDS) UINPORT.
The Centre was established in July 2012 in collaboration with existing Faculties/Departments in the University of Port Harcourt. PJC-GWDS houses an interdisciplinary programme on gender and women development issues aimed at promoting the knowledge of achieving maximum integration, without discrimination, in the quest to identify and develop male and female potentials for sustainable development.
Vision
The vision of PJC-GWDS is to build a virile environment that provides equal opportunities for the male and female population to integrate and participate favourably for the attainment of excellence in human relations and productivity.
Mission
It is the mission of PJC-GWDS to expose the male and female populations to the knowledge of social, cultural, economic, and political hindrances that impede human development at the local, national, and international levels, to attain peaceful coexistence for sustainable development.
Goals and objectives
It is the goal of PJC-GWDS to achieve the knowledge of liberty, partnership, and development, which is in tandem with the University of Port Harcourt’s Motto, Enlightenment and Self-Reliance. Consequently, the Centre adopts an interdisciplinary approach with a focus on the following objectives.
1. Promotion of knowledge about gender relations for effective collaboration of the human population in different environments.
2. In-depth engagement in the revitalization, transmission, and continuous delivery of research-based information on gender equity and women’s development.
3. Initiation of formal and non-formal education programmes that impact on gender related and women’s development issues.
4. Provision of an academic programme at the postgraduate level focusing on gender and women’s development issues.
5. Collaboration with other tertiary institutions and governmental/non-governmental organizations (local, national, and international) for partnership purposes.
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