Since Nigeria returned to democratic governance in 1999, it has completed seven election cycles. In all these elections, women have been largely marginalised in the political space at all levels. According to the Inter -Parliamentary Union2019 rankings, Nigeria has one of the lowest rates of women’s legislative representation in Africa. This paper will examine the historical progress, interventions made, and challenges faced by young women in politics in Nigeria’s 20 years of democracy. In doing so it aims to contribute to a broader review of women’s political representation in Nigeria. The paper contends that three factors limit young women’s political participation in politics in Nigeria: a lack of financial resources – women candidates cannot afford the exorbitant prices for party tickets, campaign costs, and resource mobilisation; a shortage of political ‘know-how’ – women struggle to navigate the often patriarchal and violent political context and terrain; and a challenging institutional framework – the existing electoral laws and political party dynamics do not support a level playing field for new entrants and marginalised groups. The paper concludes that if Nigeria’s democratic space is to be participatory and inclusive in line with global expectations, there must be an enabling environment – legal, social and economic – for women, especially young women, to fully exercise their agency. Political parties must practice internal party democracy to create spaces for these groups. Without these reforms, Nigeria will become, even more, a democracy that suppresses the agency and inclusion of women in governance processes; one characterised by the political and moral bankruptcy of godfathers, money politics, thuggery and violence.
