By Atlantic Reports

Former Malawi President Joyce Banda has urged women to seek political leadership and challenge structures that restrict their influence, saying Africa cannot progress while excluding half of its talent.

Banda spoke on Saturday in Abuja at the 2026 graduation ceremony of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG), where discussions centred on widening access to political leadership beyond established networks.

The ceremony, themed “Breaking the Monopoly: Building Nigeria’s New Political Leadership Pipeline”, brought together professionals from the public sector, business and civil society.

Banda said women should not wait to be invited into leadership but should persistently engage political institutions and challenge practices that limit their participation.

“Too often, women have been told, directly or indirectly, that politics is no place for them.

“Even when they enter, they encounter structures and practices that make participation and advancement unnecessarily difficult,” she said.

She argued that women were frequently mobilised to build political movements but sidelined when positions of influence were allocated.

“Women belong in the room where decisions are made; you belong in public institutions, you belong in political parties, you belong in parliament.

“You belong in executive leadership and wherever the future of your communities and countries is being decided,” she said.

Banda called for political pathways that accommodate women, young people, professionals and reform-minded citizens outside traditional power networks.

She said Africa’s natural resources and human talent could support sustainable development when matched with leadership grounded in character, competence and the capacity to govern effectively.

Ezekwesili Challenges Graduates on Standards

SPPG Founder and former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, urged the graduates to apply their training to improve political leadership and public policy.

She said the school had graduated more than 1,000 students across Nigeria, Senegal and Kenya since its establishment in 2021.

Ezekwesili described the multidisciplinary curriculum as a response to gaps in policy knowledge and competence among public leaders.

She also said the institution would continue to monitor its graduates and could revoke certificates if they failed to uphold its values and standards. Her remarks did not set out the assessment process or procedures for such action.

“With the kind of intentionality with which the curriculum was designed, we raise a different kind of leaders who can enter the arena and completely stand their ground,” she said.

Leadership as Public Service

Mr Patrick Achi, identified at the ceremony as Speaker of the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire, said emerging leaders needed the knowledge and skills to turn Africa’s resources into better living conditions.

He urged graduates to regard leadership as a responsibility to serve the public and advance the common good.

The Dean of SPPG Nigeria, Associate Prof. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said the school remained committed to developing leaders who would promote accountability, integrity and inclusive governance.

She encouraged graduates to use their knowledge and practical skills to address governance challenges in their communities and across Nigeria.

Mr Merit Ayigbe, named best male graduating student and overall most outstanding graduating student, and Ms Chinyere, recognised as best female graduating student, thanked the school’s founder, management and faculty.

Both urged their fellow graduates to translate their education into practical action. Ayigbe pledged the graduating class’s commitment to working collectively towards development in Nigeria and across Africa.

The ceremony’s central challenge was to turn leadership training into public service, while opening political decision-making to people whose voices and skills have too often been excluded.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.