Former Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has called on Nigerians to recognise preventable maternal mortality as a violation of women’s rights and to demand legal accountability from governments at all levels.
Delivering the keynote address at the 2025 FIDA Week in Akure, Mimiko urged the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and other rights-based organisations to pursue strategic litigation against maternal deaths, insisting that Nigeria must move “from policies to tangible action” in protecting women.
Speaking on the theme “Turning Policy to Action: Advancing Women’s Rights through Law and Governance,” the former governor described the issue as “urgent and transformative,” especially as the programme coincides with the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
Mimiko cited the landmark CEHURD & Ors v. Attorney General case in Uganda to illustrate a growing global shift towards recognising economic, social and cultural rights — including health — as enforceable.
He condemned the persistent deaths of women during childbirth and the “outrageous” detention of mothers and newborns over unpaid medical bills.
He noted that although Nigeria has ratified key international treaties such as CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol, these instruments remain undomesticated and therefore underutilised in enforcing women’s rights.
He also lamented that the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) is still not operational in seven states.
While acknowledging progress in gender inclusion, Mimiko stressed the need for targeted legislation such as the Reserved Seats for Women Bill.
He said Nigeria must learn from countries like Rwanda, where constitutional reforms have boosted women’s representation in parliament to 61 per cent.
The former governor also decried rising cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), describing it as “a pandemic within a pandemic.”
He called for speedy prosecution, tougher penalties, victim compensation, and the establishment of a publicly accessible sex offenders’ register, commending Ekiti and Lagos States for setting the pace.
He urged FIDA to lead strategic litigation on women’s rights, insisting that “policy must become action, and action must deliver justice and dignity for every woman and girl.”
Earlier, Chairperson of FIDA in Ondo State, Bolanle Olafunmiloye, said the country needs competent women to provide direction and moral leadership, adding that women must take deliberate steps to confront corruption, drug abuse and moral decay in society.
She also backed the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, describing it as “a bold and necessary step” to deepen female political participation.
In her remarks, Prof. Foluke Dada Lawanson, a long-standing FIDA member and former NBA presidential aspirant, highlighted the growing involvement of women lawyers in leadership within the Nigerian Bar Association and globally, noting their capacity as “builders, excellent managers and committed leaders.”
