A new global report has revealed that nine in 10 Nigerians believe women are capable of leading major institutions and businesses, but women remain largely absent from the country’s top leadership positions.

The report, 2025–2026 Reykjavík Index for Leadership, found that 89 per cent of Nigerians were comfortable with a woman serving as a Chief Executive Officer, while 77 per cent say they would support a woman as Head of Government.

However, despite this strong public acceptance, women currently occupy only 12 per cent of CEO positions and just 4 per cent of seats in the National Assembly, exposing a wide gap between public attitudes and actual representation.

Nigeria’s overall score on the global leadership perception index rose slightly to 59 out of 100, up from 57 in 2024, reflecting gradual progress in attitudes toward women leaders.

Advocacy Lead at Gatefield, Shirley Ewang, said the findings highlight a major contradiction between public opinion and institutional realities.

She said: “While most Nigerians are comfortable with a woman leading, women occupy only 12 per cent of CEO roles and four per cent of National Assembly seats. This highlights a stark disparity between comfort levels and actual representation.”