Kafilat Ogbara, Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, has issued a rallying call to Nigerians to support a constitutional amendment bill proposing the creation of 182 new legislative seats exclusively reserved for women across Nigeria.
The Reserved Seats for Women Bill, currently before the National Assembly, is designed to address the stark underrepresentation of women in political office.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja co‑hosted by the Committee and backed by UNDP and the Bridge Her Gap Initiative, Ogbara emphasized that although women make up almost half of Nigeria’s population, their participation in governance remains marginal.
At present, women hold only four out of 109 Senate seats and just 16 out of 360 in the House of Representatives, representing a dismal 4–5 percent of all legislators. At the state level, only around 55 of nearly 990 lawmakers are women, and fourteen states currently have no female legislators at all.
Under the bill, each of Nigeria’s 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would gain one additional seat reserved for a woman in both the Senate and House of Representatives, totaling 74 extra seats at the national level. Additionally, each State House of Assembly would receive three reserved seats for women adding up to 108 seats, which together amount to 182 seats exclusively for female representation.
Ogbara clarified that existing constituencies and seats would remain intact: “We are not removing anyone’s seat; these are additional seats for women, with equal rights and responsibilities.” The bill incorporates inclusivity clauses to ensure representation of women from marginalized groups, including young women and women with disabilities, and mandates mechanisms for nominations and elections overseen by INEC.
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A monitoring and evaluation framework is embedded, with the law reviewed after four electoral cycles (16 years).
At the same briefing, UNDP Country Representative Elsie Attafuah applauded the initiative, calling it a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic evolution and pledging continued support.
Senator Ireti Kingibe also joined the call, encouraging both women and male allies to mobilize in favor of the bill.
Leading international partners and national figures have framed the proposal not as charity, but as a strategic necessity. Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu has highlighted the broader economic and democratic benefits, noting that increased female participation could boost Nigeria’s GDP by as much as nine percent.
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, represented by House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, underscored that reserved seats would strengthen democracy rather than represent a charitable gesture.
Despite growing momentum, the bill faces resistance rooted in cultural and religious conservatism. Critics point to challenges such as the constitutional requirement of approval by two‑thirds of State Assemblies, logistical complexities in defining new constituencies, and deeper systemic barriers like lack of access to funding and entrenched party structures that hinder women’s full political participation.
As the Reserved Seats for Women Bill advances toward public hearings and eventual constitutional amendment debates, its success hinges on broad support from lawmakers, political parties, civil society, traditional leaders, and grassroots Nigerians alike, to close Nigeria’s gender gap in governance.
