WOSCONET convened a three-day capacity building workshop for women aspiring to political office in March 2025, drawing 200 participants from across all 17 local government areas of Enugu State. Held at the Enugu State International Conference Centre, the workshop was designed to equip women with the practical knowledge, strategic skills, and peer networks needed to compete effectively in Nigeria's challenging electoral environment. Participants included first-time aspirants for councillorship and legislative positions, women already serving in appointive roles who were considering elective office, and community women leaders who serve as political mobilisers in their constituencies.
The workshop curriculum was developed in consultation with experienced women politicians, election management experts, civil society practitioners, and communications professionals. Day one focused on Nigeria's electoral framework — covering the roles of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), the candidate nomination process, campaign finance regulations, and the legal rights of women candidates under the Nigerian constitution and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act. Participants were particularly engaged by a session on documenting and reporting electoral harassment and intimidation, a reality many women candidates face, and received contact information for relevant legal aid organisations.
"Women's voices in governance are not optional — they are essential to building a Nigeria that works for everyone."
Day two was devoted to campaign strategy and public communication. Expert facilitators from media and political consulting backgrounds walked participants through voter mapping, constituency analysis, message development, and the use of social media for low-cost campaigning. The afternoon featured mock campaign scenarios in which participants practised articulating their policy positions to a simulated townhall audience, with peer feedback and coaching from experienced campaign managers. Several participants noted that this practical simulation was one of the most valuable elements of the entire workshop, giving them a structured opportunity to find and refine their authentic political voice in a safe environment.
The third day addressed coalition-building and financing. A session on women's political networks and caucuses highlighted the power of organised solidarity among women politicians, drawing on examples from Enugu State and other Nigerian states where women's caucuses have successfully passed gender-sensitive legislation. Financial management sessions covered legal campaign financing, the legal boundaries of political spending, and how to mobilise support from women's cooperatives, professional associations, and diaspora networks. The workshop closed with a commitment ceremony in which participants publicly stated their candidacy intentions and exchanged contact details to form a peer support network that WOSCONET will continue to facilitate through the 2026 election cycle.
Following the workshop, WOSCONET established a Women in Governance Alumni Network with a dedicated WhatsApp group and monthly virtual check-ins. Three participants announced their candidacies for local government councillorship positions within weeks of the workshop's conclusion. WOSCONET has committed to providing each declared candidate with ongoing mentorship, communications support, and access to the organisation's community mobilisation networks ahead of the 2026 Enugu local government elections.