His Excellency,
Prince Dapo Abiodun
Executive Governor of Ogun State,
Office of the Governor of Ogun State
State Secretariat, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta
Your Excellency Sir
OPEN LETTER TO OGUN STATE GOVERNOR FOR 35% REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN THE CABINET FOR 2019-2023 AND BEYOND
We are a group of concerned citizens of Ogun State working under the auspices of a campaign platform called ‘More Women’. An initiative of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), a national leading women group, with its roots in Ogun state, Nigeria. We represent diverse non-governmental organisations that work towards the advancement of women in Nigeria in all spheres of life and within the context of national and international frameworks that obligates Nigeria to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.
We support more women in leadership in Ogun State and Nigeria as a prerequisite for sustainable democracy and development.
We are concerned by the continued marginalization of women in leadership positions in the country and hereby request your Excellency to consider appointing 35% representation of women in the cabinet that will lead your agenda in the state. We also urge you to consider other social groups including the youth and people with disabilities.
We believe that the appointment exercise as a critical tool to steer affairs of the state towards a desirable and sustainable future, such future can support the state towards the achievement of 2030 Global agenda. The state has always been the gate way and leads historically in progressive developments and we will not expect something less from this present government. We are aware that there are several eminently qualified female indigenes of the state for all the sectors and call on your esteemed self to consider these eminently qualified female citizens to position the state appropriately and support your agenda for a better state.
Taking this step, will not only position your government as a gender friendly party but it will go a long way in placing Ogun State in the comity of states in Nigeria as a leader committed to gender equality and women’s participation in power and decision making. It will set a precedent for other governments across the country and increase the gender rating of Nigeria.
We urge you to listen to the yearning of the people and support a pro people government that portrays representation that is above board and can support development. Take Notice Sir, that the Women Groups and concerned citizens will undertake a solidarity WALK to your office on Thursday, 1st of August 2019
Long Live the Governor, Long Live Ogun State, Long Live Nigeria!
Yours faithfully,

Signed by
Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi,
Chairperson, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG)
Co-Convener, More Women Campaign, Nigeria.
Executive Director, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC)
On behalf of:
Ms. Mojisola Akinsanya
Executive Director
Women for Peace & Gender Equality Initiative Coordinator,
Civil Society Coalition on SDG
(Ogun State)
Kemi Okenyodo
Executive Director
Partners West Africa – Nigeria
1. 100 Women Group
2. 9jafeminista
3. African Women Law Association (AWLA)
4. ACTS Generation GBV
5. ADEM Community & Human Development Foundation
6. Advocate for Health and Development Initiative
7. African Women’s Initiative (AWI)
8. Ajegunle Community Project
9. Alliances for Africa (AfA)
10. Aminchi Women Cooperative Society
11. ATATA Development and Empowerment Foundation (ADEF)
12. Briskila Emefesi Women Foundation (BEWOF)
13. CEE-HOPE Nigeria
14. Center for Economic Empowerment and Gender Activities CEEGa
15. Center for Economic Empowerment Initiatives
16. Centre for Alternative Development and Self-Enhancement (CEADESE NG)
17. Centre for Health and Development in Africa(CHEDA)
18. Centre for Nonviolence and Gender Advocacy in Nigeria (CENGAIN)
19. Centre for Peace Education and Community Development
20. Centre for Women’s Health and Information
21. Centre For Women’s Health And Information (CEWHIN)
22. Change Managers International Network
23. Charity Women Spring of Salvation
24. Chedal Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society
25. Choung-dung Women Association.
26. Christian Women for Excellence and Empowerment in Nigerian Society (CWEENS)
27. Christian Women in Nigerian Politics
28. Community and Youth Development
29. Community Education Advancement of Peace and Development Initiative (CEAPDI)
30. Community Life Project (CLP)
31. Community Initiative for Healthy and Peaceful Society
32. Community Rescue Initiative (CRI)
33. Community Women Initiatives
34. Courageous People Health and Development Initiative (CPHDL)
35. Courageous People Health and Development Initiatives
36. Dorothy Njemanze Foundation
37. Dream Alive Women and Orphans Support Foundation (DAWOS Foundation)
38. Echoes of Women in Africa Initiatives (ECOWA)
39. Education as a Vaccine (EVA)
40. Emerge Women
41. Equity Advocates (EA)
42. FAME Foundation
43. Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria (FIWON)
44. Federation of Muslim Women Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN)
45. Federation of Paralegal Network (FEDPAN)
46. Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA)
47. Fembridge Development Initiative (FEDI)
48. First Future Leadership
49. Forward in Action for Education, Poverty and Malnutrition (FACE-PAM)
50. Gender Action Awareness Trust
51. Gender and Development Action (GADA)
52. Gender and Constitution Reform Network (GECORN)
53. Gender and Environmental Risk Reduction Initiative(GERI)
54. Gender Awareness Trust
55. Gender Development Initiative
56. Gender Equality Center
57. Gender Equality, Peace and Development Centre (GEPADCE)
58. Gender Technical Unit (GTU)
59. Girl Child Advocacy and Education Initiatives
60. Girl Child Education, Care & Rehabilitation
61. Girl Education Rehabilitation and Care (GERAC)
62. Green Spring Development Initiative
63. Hadis Foundation
64. Heal Disability Initiative
65. Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria(HERFON)
66. HEIR Women Development (HWD)
67. Hope for New Life
68. Inter Africa Committee (IAC)
69. Inter Gender Peace Foundation
70. International Action Network on Small Arms Women Network of Nigeria
71. International Hairstylists, Barber and Body Therapists (IHSTOBAN)
72. International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH)
73. Iyaniwura Children Care Foundation
74. Jamatul Nasir Islam, Women Wing
75. Jana Health Foundation
76. Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC)
77. Justice Development and Peace Mission (JDPM)
78. K/mashi Gamji Women
79. Kebetkache Women Development and Resources Centre
80. Kimpact Initiatives
81. Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND)
82. League of Queens International Empowerment
83. Lift Initiative
84. MBULA Women Association
85. Media & Teens Network.
86. More Women in Politics
87. Nasrul – Lahi-L- Faith Society (NASFAT)
88. National Association of Women Journalist (NAWOJ)
89. National Council of Women Societies (NCWS)
90. Next Initiative for Gender Actions (NIGA)
91. NGAS Women Farmers’ Cooperative Society
92. Nigeria Association of Women Journalist (NAWOJ)
93. Nigeria Labour Congress, Women Committee
94. Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT)
95. Nigeria Women Trust Fund
96. Ogayem Merciful Care and Support Initiatives (OMCSI)
97. Ogun Women Alive
98. Onomese Foundation
99. Osi Joe Touching Lives Initiative
100. Partners West Africa
101. Peasant Dragnet
102. Proactive Gender Initiative (PGI)
103. Project Alert on Violence Against Women
104. Ray’s of Hope Community Foundation
105. Relief development initiative kaduna
106. Stephanie Peace Building Development Foundation
107. Support for Needy Children and Women Initiative(SUNCHI)
108. SWOFON National Abuja
109. The Priceless Jewels Foundation
110. The Inclusion Project (TIP)
111. Transition Monitoring Group
112. Transformation and Development Center (TDC)
113. Tunde & Friends Foundation(TAFF)
114. UC Women Commission
115. Vision Spring Initiatives (VSI)
116. Voice of Ogun Women (VOW)
117. West African Network for Peace Building (WANEP)
118. Widows Development Organization (WiDO)
119. Woman-Being Concern Nigeria
120. Women & Youth Awareness Empowerment Network (WOYAEN)
121. Women Advocacy, HIV Prevention and Other Diseases (WAHPOD)
122. Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC)
123. Women Aid Collectives
124. Women and Youth Empowerment for Advancement and Health Initiative (WYEAHI)
125. Women Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON)
126. Women Empowerment and Initiative Development
127. Women Farmers Alliance
128. Women Fm 91.7
129. Women for Peace and Gender Equality Initiative
130. Women Foundation Initiative
131. Women Foundation of Nigeria (WFN)
132. Women in Africa Initiative
133. Women in Agriculture
134. Women in Mining
135. Women Information Network (WINET)
136. Women Initiative for Democracy and Empowerment (WIDE)
137. Women Law Development Center of Nigeria (WLDCN)
138. Women Lead Agric
139. Women of Vision Development Initiative
140. Women Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN)
141. Women, Infants and Children Care Initiative (WICCI)
142. Women Protection Organization (WOPO)
143. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom ( WILPF)
144. Women’s Right to Education Programme
145. Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP)
146. Youth Future Savers Initiative
147. Youth Future Savers initiative (YFSI)
148. Youth orphans and Widows Empowerment (YOWE)
149. Zango Women Empowerment
150. Zinovi Educational Foundation
CC:
I. All Media Organizations in Nigeria
II. Speaker of Ogun state
III. Secretary to the State Government
ENDS
