The Federal Government has come under criticism for not including women in the recent renaming of 15 airports after notable Nigerians.
This occured despite a non-governmental organization, Women in Politics Forum, urging the Federal Government to dedicate more national landmarks to women.
The group maintained that the omission could not have been a mistake and was instead proof of the inadequate appreciation of women's contributions to nation-building. The organization's chair, Mrs. Ebere Ifendu, expressed worry about the lack of female representation in the list when speaking to reporters about the development.
According to her, “Many Nigerian women contributed directly or indirectly to the attainment of independence and are still contributing immensely to national development.
“However, they are not often given the level of recognition required.
“We have women like Gambo Sawaba, Fumilayo Ransome Kuti and Maryam Babangida, who opened the path for Nigerian women and many more.”
Ifendu further stated that, “These brave women defied our highly patriarchal setting to contribute to humanity and should be well celebrated at any given opportunity.
“For instance, I looked through the recent list of 15 airports renamed after some renowned Nigerians and I did not see any woman on the list.
“This is disheartening and I urge the Federal Government and relevant authorities to recognise women more.
She noted that: “The only airport we have named after a woman in the whole of Nigeria is Magaret Ekpo International Airport in Cross River State.
“We are not just asking the Federal Government to name more airports after women but other national monuments.
“Women should also be represented in every sector of the economy in the present administration.”
