Constitutional amendment proposal seeks additional seats for women in national and state legislatures.



Wednesday, July 23, 2025 - Efforts to enhance women’s representation in Nigeria’s political landscape received a major boost on Monday as lawmakers, gender advocates, and civil society actors rallied support for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill.

The bill, a constitutional amendment proposal, seeks to create additional seats for women in the national and state legislatures.

At a press conference held in Abuja, the Convener of the campaign, Osasu Igbinedion-Oguche, said the initiative had secured backing from the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and the Forum of Governors’ Spouses, as well as broad-based support across political, religious, and regional lines.

She disclosed that over 10 million Nigerians had been mobilised across the 36 states and the FCT in what she described as the largest bipartisan grassroots movement for a single constitutional amendment in the country’s history.

“This campaign is more than a bill. It’s a blueprint,” she said. “Legislation does not pass by applause, it passes by pressure, precision, and presence.”

According to her, the campaign is not just about women’s rights but about national development.

“This is not a women’s issue. It’s a nation-building imperative, because when countries invest in women’s political leadership, they gain stronger economies, safer communities, and more resilient democracies.”

The bill, officially known as House Bill 1349, proposes the creation of 37 additional seats each in the Senate and House of Representatives, along with three extra seats per state in state Houses of Assembly, to be exclusively contested by women.

The legislation is expected to come up for a third reading at the National Assembly in October, after which it would proceed to the state legislatures and then to the President for assent.

Mrs Igbinedion-Oguche noted that women currently occupy less than five per cent of elective offices at the federal level, a development she described as a democratic shortfall.

“A nation that sidelines its women is negotiating with one hand tied behind its back,” she said.

She added that the cost of implementing the bill would be marginal when compared to the long-term benefits.

“We have done the math. The cost implication of passing this bill and adding new seats to accommodate women is less than one per cent of the national budget, and for that one per cent, what we gain is immeasurable: balanced governance, inclusive policies, and a reimagining of what leadership can look like.”

Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), Abiodun Essiet, said the conversation must shift from merit to equity.

“Women have never lacked merit. What we have lacked is access,” she said.

“Women will still contest for general seats, but the bill gives us a fighting chance. This is not about charity, it’s about fairness.”

Ms Essiet argued that the bill creates a more level playing field, without restricting women to reserved positions alone.

Responding to a question about grassroots ownership of the bill, Mrs Igbinedion-Oguche maintained that the campaign was structured from the ground up.

“We have structures in all 36 states and the FCT, with zonal coordinators engaging directly with market women, farmers, entrepreneurs. This bill is as much for them as it is for women in Abuja.”

She said the public hearings recently conducted—six by the Senate and 12 by the House—are key milestones in integrating the bill into the ongoing constitutional review process.

On concerns about cost, she reiterated that the proposed additional seats would increase the national budget by only one per cent.

“One per cent is nothing compared to what we lose when women are excluded from governance. We cannot continue to leave half of our brains behind and expect to compete globally.”

Also speaking, Joy Akut, Special Assistant on Youth and Women Affairs to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, said male allies are playing a visible role in the advocacy.

She said the Deputy Speaker, who chairs the House Constitution Review Committee, is among those championing the bill.

“We cannot continue to make laws that affect half of our population without their voices at the table. Only a woman can tell you where it hurts and this is about bringing women into the room where decisions are made.”

In his remarks, Elisha Attai, Regional Director of Civil Society Organisations at ECOWAS, hailed the involvement of male political leaders.

“It’s no longer men supporting women behind closed doors. They are now standing up and showing their faces,” he said.

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