Mrs. Funmi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and founder of Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA), has attributed Nigeria’s prolonged leadership and security challenges to decades of male-dominated governance, calling for greater inclusion of women in public office as a remedy for the nation’s crises.
Mrs. Falana made the remarks on Sunday during her annual Christmas visit to the Erelu Angela Adebayo Children’s Home in Iyin Ekiti, describing the marginalisation of women in governance as a key factor behind the country’s “shameful and embarrassing state.”
“Nigeria has continued to have male presidents, and they have continued to fail Nigerians,” she said. “I am saying women can do better because women have the heart of compassion and will be more honest with government resources.”
The human rights advocate and wife of renowned lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, stressed that women-led governance could bring honesty, empathy, and fiscal discipline to the system, noting that the country’s ongoing leadership failure underscores the need for female participation in decision-making.
Mrs. Falana’s Christmas outreach, she explained, is a personal commitment to giving back to society while inspiring others to support vulnerable children.
“I have come to celebrate Christmas with the children of Erelu Adebayo Children’s Home, and this is what I do every year,” she said. “It is a time to give back to society and to let the children here know that they are as important as their contemporaries elsewhere.”
She also admonished the wealthy to channel resources toward improving the lives of less privileged Nigerians instead of spending on frivolities, adding that such actions align with the will of God.
Expressing concern over the country’s worsening security situation, Mrs. Falana lamented the plight of women and children, particularly those in the north, who remain most vulnerable to attacks by bandits and terrorists.
“It is very sad. Homes and schools are no longer safe. Children are being kidnapped even from their schools,” she said.
“These children, who are innocent, find themselves in this situation. They will not forgive us if our leaders do not act decisively to ensure their safety.”
The SAN criticised the government’s perceived helplessness in tackling terrorism, describing the situation as “shameful and embarrassing,” and said Nigeria’s leadership has indirectly encouraged the current insecurity.
Citing UNESCO data, Mrs. Falana highlighted that about 18.5 million Nigerian children are out of school, with more than 10 million of them being girls, giving Nigeria the second-highest global figure.
She warned that millions of children are consequently exposed to early marriage, criminal recruitment, and other forms of exploitation.
She further blamed the crisis partly on states failing to pay counterpart funds to access the Universal Basic Education Commission’s (UBEC) N135 billion matching grant, which, she said, exacerbates poverty and internal displacement.
“An estimated three million Nigerians are internally displaced due to poverty, terrorist attacks, and climate change,” she added.
Mrs. Falana urged Nigerian leaders to move beyond ceremonial celebrations of Children’s Day and prioritize concrete action to address the nation’s child welfare and malnutrition crises.
“Nigeria has the second-highest number of stunted children in the world, with 37 per cent of children under five suffering from chronic malnutrition,” she noted.
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