By Chesa Chesa
A development discourse has spotlighted the widening gap between public policy frameworks and the lived realities of Nigerian women, raising urgent questions about structural inequality, cultural norms, and the true cost of survival.
The session, hosted by Nextier and moderated by policy expert Patrick O. Okigbo III, showcased acclaimed author Chika Unigwe, exploring how storytelling can illuminate complex socio-economic challenges often flattened by data and statistics.
Drawing heavily from her literary works, including On Black Sister Street, The Middle Daughter, Night Dancer, and her recent novel Grace, Unigwe argued that fiction offers a powerful lens to humanise policy discussions and expose the human consequences of systemic failure.
A key theme of the discussion was what the speakers described as the “illusion of change.” Referencing research conducted during the COVID-19 period, Unigwe noted a surge in abandoned babies in Enugu State, forcing authorities to expand shelter capacity. She said the crisis was not new but reflective of longstanding structural pressures that continue to reproduce the same outcomes across decades.
Her novel Grace, set between the era of Sani Abacha and the COVID-19 pandemic, underscores this continuity, suggesting that despite policy reforms and increased visibility of women in leadership, deeper cultural attitudes have remained largely unchanged.
Unigwe emphasized that structural reforms alone cannot deliver meaningful progress without corresponding shifts in societal mindset. She cited examples of young women whose ambitions are curtailed by entrenched beliefs prioritising marriage over education, describing such decisions as products of constrained environments rather than true personal choice.
This led to a broader interrogation of agency. According to Unigwe, many Nigerian women operate within a narrow “field of possibility,” shaped by economic exclusion, gender expectations, and weak state support systems. Referencing the concept of nego-feminism, developed by Obioma Nnaemeka, she described how women often negotiate within restrictive systems to survive, rather than exercise full autonomy.
The discourse also examined the rise of illegal “baby factories,” portrayed in Grace as a response to both institutional failure and cultural pressure. Unigwe argued that these operations persist due to the inefficiencies and corruption surrounding Nigeria’s adoption system, combined with societal expectations that tie a woman’s value to childbearing.
While condemning the practice, she stressed that enforcement alone would not solve the problem. “As long as legal adoption remains inaccessible and cultural expectations remain rigid, the demand will continue,” she noted.
The discussion further highlighted how respectability politics continues to shape women’s lives, with societal validation often tied to marriage and motherhood. Even successful women, Unigwe observed, are frequently defined by their marital status, reflecting a deeply entrenched patriarchal hierarchy.
Participants also addressed the role of elite complicity in sustaining broken systems. By bypassing institutional failures through wealth or influence, the privileged reduce the urgency for systemic reform. Unigwe acknowledged that even those aware of these issues often participate in such practices, perpetuating the cycle.
In closing, she described her role as a writer as one that challenges societal conscience, urging both policymakers and citizens to confront uncomfortable truths.
The discourse ended with a critical question: whether Nigerians, through action or silence, have accepted the current conditions that define the cost of survival for women.
The session forms part of Nextier’s ongoing Development Discourse series, which seeks to bridge policy debates with lived human experience.
