Ilorin, NIGERIA — The Nigeria Governors Wives’ Forum has officially transitioned to the Nigeria Governors Spouses’ Forum.
The name change serves as a preparation for a future where men may join the ranks as spouses of female governors, ensuring the forum remains relevant regardless of the gender of a state’s chief executive, Okay News understands.
Historically, Dame Virginia Ngozi Etiaba remains the only woman to have held the position, serving as Anambra State Governor from November 2006 to February 2007. More recently, prominent female aspirants have faced hurdles; Iyabo Obasanjo withdrew her Ogun State governorship bid in April 2026 following the emergence of a consensus candidate, while Senator Aisha Binani’s high-profile 2023 contest in Adamawa ended in a long legal battle.
The forum’s journey began in June 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was established as Nigerian Governors’ Wives against Gender-Based Violence (NGWA-GBV).
The advocacy group successfully lobbied the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to declare a State of Emergency against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence on June 10, 2020—a move that was pillared by President Muhammadu Buhari’s establishment of an inter-ministerial Presidential Task Force.
The rebranding comes at a time when the forum is celebrating a major legislative achievement. While only 14 states had domesticated the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in mid-2020, as of April 2026, all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have passed the law. The forum noted that this achievement is a direct result of expedited action by the governors and the relentless advocacy of their spouses.
