Women's Political Representation and Corruption Nexus in Nigeria's Fourth Republic: Evidence from Statistical and Graphical Analysis

This research critically probes the trajectories of political representation of women across different electoral cycles. Guided by the Exclusion Mechanism Theory, the study examines if the gender and corruption nexus present in global literature remains true within the context of the Nigeria's Fourth Republic (1999–2023), without establishing a strict causal relationship. The study adopts a quantitative descriptive research design, relying on secondary time-series data for the proportion of women in the National Assembly, including appointed female ministers in Nigeria's Fourth Republic. Also, annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI) scores and rankings for Nigeria were sourced from the online database of Transparency International. Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and graphical analytical tools to visualize patterns and inflection points across electoral cycles. Evidence from the graphical analysis reveals that the average women's representation in the National Assembly is just 5.4 percent across both chambers. Furthermore, the peak of women representation (2007–2014) corresponds with the period when Nigeria had a modest CPI score progress. Similarly, the decrease in women political representation in 2019–2023, aligned with anti-corruption stagnation. Nonetheless, CPI scores never exceeded 30 points even when female representation peaked. The study concludes that there is a weak positive correlation between women's political representation and reduced corruption in Nigeria, but structural barriers critically impedes on this relationship, hence, complementing gender parity with institutional reform is key to combating corruption. Consequently, the study recommends legislative quotas for women, while also strengthening the anti-corruption institutions for seamless operation.