Reps committee backs women’s reserved seat bill

The House of Representatives Committee on Youth in Parliament has pledged to lead advocacy efforts in support of the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to create Special Reserved Seats for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly.

Chairman of the committee, Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala (APC, Oyo), made the pledge on Tuesday while addressing journalists in Abuja at the end of a stakeholders’ interactive session organised by the Legislative Advocacy Committee on the Reserved Seats for Women Bill.
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen constituted the advocacy committee to mobilise lawmakers, civil society groups, and the public in favour of the proposed legislation.

The engagement is part of ongoing efforts by the 10th National Assembly to revisit and pass key gender-related constitutional amendments that failed in previous assemblies.

Details of the bill
The Constitution Alteration (Reserved Seats for Women) Bill seeks to enhance female representation by creating additional elective seats across the National and State Assemblies.

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Under the proposal, each of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would have one additional senatorial seat exclusively reserved for women, bringing 37 new female legislators into the 109-member Senate and expanding the chamber’s size to 146 senators.

Similarly, the House would gain one extra seat per state and the FCT, adding another 37 women to bring the total number of members to 397.

At the state level, each of the 36 State Houses of Assembly would reserve one seat for women in every senatorial district, guaranteeing female representation across the tiers of government and within the political institutions closest to citizens.

The initiative is designed to improve gender balance in governance and align Nigeria with global democratic standards on political inclusiveness.

Committee to drive legislative support

At the session, the House Committee on Youth in Parliament was formally inaugurated to spearhead grassroots campaigns and legislative lobbying in favour of the bill.

Mr Alao-Akala reaffirmed the committee’s commitment, noting that its members would work tirelessly to secure passage of the bill.

“I am happy that the goal was given to me. I am going to take it head-on. I am going to ensure that every stone will be turned to ensure that we go into the bill and that every layman can understand the clauses and also accept it,” he said.

He added that Nigeria must continue to demonstrate its commitment to gender equality and inclusion in both domestic governance and international representation.

“We are a country that supports women, not a country that discriminates; we are a country that understands the need for inclusiveness in governance,” he stated.

Commendations

Earlier, Ene Obi, a gender advocate, commended the House for throwing its weight behind the bill.

She said the initiative builds on the success of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Act, which expanded youth participation in politics.

“So we are doing the same thing now to get the special seats bill passed; it is for our children to also contest and come into the parliament.”

The Special Assistant to the Speaker on Women Affairs, Yeside Olasimbo, also lauded the endorsement, describing it as “the right step in the right direction” in Nigeria’s gender inclusion journey.

“They have endorsed the bill today, and I think it is the right step; they are taking this head-on and saying that they are going to join us in the advocacy to lobby members and also assist us by reducing the stress of having to meet all 360 members at once,” she added.

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Push for gender-inclusive governance

Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs, Kafilat Ogbara, called for sustained political will to ensure the passage of the bill, describing it as essential to Nigeria’s democratic progress and global image.

“The historical trajectory has been a tragedy, but we are very positive and optimistic because the time we have is now,” Ms Ogbara said.

“What we need most is political will and we have that. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a gender-sensitive leader. He is the only president who has allowed his wife to contest the Senate seat three times, and today, she is a senator herself. The vice president is a lawmaker, and so is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. These are people who understand the value of what this bill represents.”

She explained that the bill was not merely about gender equality but about enhancing Nigeria’s democratic credibility and ensuring balanced representation in both local and international engagements.

Ms Ogbara praised Speaker Tajudeen for his leadership and consistent support for inclusive governance.

“There is no better time than now,” she said. “We must continue to mobilise even more support to ensure its success.”