GIZ Kicks Off 3-Day Workshop to Empower Women in Public Office

In a bid to advance gender inclusion and strengthen leadership capacity within Nigeria’s public sector, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) has flagged off a three-day capacity building workshop for women in public office and male allies in governance. TVC News Correspondent,  Jesse Tafida writes on the tells us more in this report

The programme, which opened in Abuja on Monday, brings together a cross-section of female leaders, policymakers, civil servants, and advocates committed to promoting inclusive governance and sustainable public service reform.

Declaring the workshop open, Dr. Salma Anas Kolo, Special Adviser on Health to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, described inclusive leadership as the bedrock of effective governance and national progress.

Dr. Salma applauded GIZ for its continued partnership with Nigeria, noting that the agency’s initiatives have consistently promoted transparency, accountability, and gender equity across the public service. She urged participants to maximize the learning opportunity and translate their experiences into actionable reforms within their respective institutions.

The workshop, organized under GIZ’s Support to the Reform of the Public Service Programme, is part of a broader effort to enhance transformational leadership, policy engagement, and advocacy among women in governance. It also aims to foster collaboration with male allies who play a vital role in driving systemic change.

Over the course of the programme, participants will engage in hands-on sessions on strategic leadership, inclusive decision-making, effective communication, and stakeholder engagement. Facilitators are expected to guide discussions on how public institutions can create enabling environments for women to lead, influence, and shape policy outcomes.

Speaking during the opening session, GIZ’s representative reaffirmed the agency’s dedication to strengthening Nigeria’s public administration through inclusive policies and reform-driven initiatives. The representative emphasized that the active involvement of both women and men is crucial to achieving equitable governance and sustainable national development.

Participants are expected to develop an action plan and policy roadmap by the end of the three-day session, aimed at boosting women’s representation, strengthening leadership pipelines, and integrating gender perspectives into public administration at federal, state, and local government levels.

For GIZ, this initiative underscores a shared vision: a Nigeria where women and men lead side by side, driving policies that truly serve the people.