Nigeria has reached a historic milestone in gender parity, with the highest-ever level of female participation in the workforce, according to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2025.
The report notes that female labour force participation climbed to 95.6%, marking a sharp rise from 89.9% recorded in the previous year. This jump contributed significantly to Nigeria’s improved score in the Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex, one of the few areas where the country made notable progress.
However, this labour market gain was not enough to lift Nigeria’s overall global standing. The country slipped to 124th place worldwide, largely due to setbacks in political and educational equality.
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WEF’s analysis points to a 2.9-point drop in political empowerment, highlighting a steep decline in the proportion of women holding ministerial roles, from 17.6% in 2024 to just 8.8% in 2025. Nigeria also stagnated in educational attainment and health metrics, indicating persistent structural challenges.
Since its inception in 2006, the Global Gender Gap Report has tracked countries’ efforts to close gender disparities. While Nigeria shows promise in workforce inclusion, broader reforms remain necessary to ensure balanced progress across all indicators of gender equality.
