Women Leaders Renew Push For Special Seats Bill, Say Nigeria At Turning Point

By TOSAN OYAKHILOME-AKAHOMEN

WOMEN leaders across Nigeria have renewed calls for the National Assembly to swiftly pass the Special Seats for Women Bill, framing the proposal as a long-overdue corrective to the country’s deep-rooted gender imbalance in governance. Their demand took centre stage at the Nigerian Women and National Women Leaders Forum in Abuja, organised by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) in partnership with the House Committee on Women Affairs and supported by the European Union. The forum aligned with the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, adding symbolic weight to the advocacy.

Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, described the ongoing legislative process as a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey. She emphasised that with more than 104 million women in the country, their near invisibility in political leadership exposes longstanding structural and cultural barriers rather than a lack of competence. Nigeria currently has just 21 women in the National Assembly and fewer than 50 in state legislatures, while 13 states have no female lawmakers at all—an absence the minister said undermines inclusive policymaking.

The proposed Special Seats Bill seeks to change this trajectory by amending the 1999 Constitution to create additional, women-only seats across the federal and state legislatures. It proposes one reserved seat per state and the FCT in both the Senate and House of Representatives, totalling 74 federal positions, and three reserved seats per state assembly, adding 108 positions nationwide. These seats would be contested exclusively by women during general elections and serve as temporary special measures designed to boost female representation until parity improves organically. The bill has already passed Second Reading in the House of Representatives and awaits further consideration by the Constitution Review Committee.

Speakers at the forum argued that greater female representation is not merely symbolic but essential for shaping policies that reflect the lived realities of half the population—including issues such as maternal health, menstrual hygiene, childcare, economic inclusion, and gender-sensitive budgeting. While acknowledging the support of male allies, Sulaiman-Ibrahim stressed that women must be physically present in decision-making spaces for policies to be effective, practical, and people-centred.

APC National Women Leader, Mary Adile, echoed this view, calling the bill a “legacy opportunity” for the 10th National Assembly. She highlighted the everyday political obstacles women face—from online harassment to financial exclusion—and noted that Nigeria’s representation rates rank among the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa. Countries like Rwanda, Tanzania, Namibia, Mozambique, and Angola have significantly higher levels of female participation, she said, proving that deliberate constitutional mechanisms can drive progress.

Adile warned that Nigeria’s current parliamentary representation—3.9 per cent in the House of Representatives and 2.8 per cent in the Senate—reflects a system that does not yet offer women equal political footing. At the state level, the figures are similarly bleak, with women occupying only 5.5 per cent of legislative seats. She insisted that the Special Seats Bill is not about inflating numbers but about fairness, justice, and ensuring that the nation’s laws are shaped by voices from all segments of society.

Participants urged lawmakers to seize the moment, noting that global milestones—the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, 25 years of UN Resolution 1325, and three decades of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs—make this an opportune time for Nigeria to demonstrate commitment to gender equality. Many expressed hope that passing the bill would allow Nigeria to present a stronger case for progress at the upcoming 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

The forum concluded with a strong appeal to the National Assembly: pass the Special Seats Bill and help reset Nigeria’s democratic inclusiveness for generations to come.