REVIEW: In 2025, Nigerian women intensified push for gender reforms

Discussions around gender issues, especially women’s representation in parliament, intensified in Nigeria in 2025.

A legislative proposal, widely known as the Special Seats Bill or Reserved Seats Bill, was the primary focus of the discussion.

The bill, which has received widespread support from civil societies and state governments, including the Governors’ Forum, “signals a rare cross-sector push for institutional change,” Mabel Ade, founder of Adinya Arise Foundation (AAF), noted.

Ms Ade described 2025 as a “catalytic year,” because old promises were interrogated.

“The real test ahead is whether Nigeria will translate the Beijing+30 momentum into enforceable laws, institutional reforms, and measurable increases in women’s political representation and safety,” she said.

Lydia Umar, the director of Gender Awareness Trust, corroborated Ms Ade’s opinion.

Ms Umar said that, as far as women’s political participation is concerned, the bill is a “significant development.

The year also witnessed key political and social justice controversies, including the high-profile sexual harassment allegations between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the political turmoil that saw the brief tenure of Lagos’s first female Speaker.

Also, the national outcry over President Bola Tinubu’s initial pardon (later commuted) for Maryam Sanda, convicted of murdering her husband, ignited debates on accountability versus compassion in gender-based violence-related convictions. The debate intensified after the Supreme Court, weeks after the presidential actions, affirmed the death sentence on Ms Sanda.

In this report, PREMIUM TIMES analyses key events related to women and gender in 2025.

Lagos House of Assembly crisis

Just as Nigerians began to settle into the new year, the legislative quarters in Lagos witnessed a tumultuous mix of events. A victory for women’s inclusion, which was an unprecedented achievement, unfortunately, proved to be short-lived.

In January, many Nigerians celebrated Mojisola Meranda following her appointment as the first female speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. Since 1999, no woman had held the speakership position in Nigeria’s commercial hub.

Despite being overwhelmingly voted in by her colleagues, the new speaker’s tenure was challenged just one month later. The ousted former speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, returned to the assembly’s complex, accompanied by security operatives, to forcibly reclaim the speaker’s seat.

In the month that followed, Ms Meranda resigned just 49 days after she was sworn in. Her resignation paved the way for the reinstatement of Mr Obasa as the speaker. According to Ms Meranda, her decision to resign is to “save this legislative institution from further unnecessary conflict and embarrassment.”

All-female first-class graduates celebrated

While the Lagos legislative arm was in distress, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Mass Communication Department made history. In a record-breaking achievement, the department made history by graduating 18 all-female first-class students for the 2023/2024 session during its 55th convocation in January.

The graduating students were praised for their hard work, dedication, and resilience in achieving academic excellence.

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan vs Godswill Akpabio

Nigeria’s political scene is one of perpetual motion, where one controversy rapidly replaces the last. Yet, the saga involving two senators, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Godswill Akpabio, generated an unusually prolonged period of sustained tension.

The early-year suspension of Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan following what transpired in the Senate, and her sexual harassment allegations against Mr Akpabio, highlighted perceived institutional retaliation, though she resumed her duties six months after the sanction.

According to Ms Ade, the founder of the women empowerment organisation, the high-profile sexual harassment allegations underscored the gap between policy and practice, reinforcing the need for independent investigative mechanisms, survivor-centred procedures, and protection against retaliation in political institutions.

She called on political institutions to adopt and enforce clear, gender-sensitive codes of conduct.

“Political institutions must adopt and enforce codes of conduct that define sexual harassment clearly and include specific procedures for investigation, protection of complainants, sanctions, and appeal processes,” Ms Ade said.

Before the sexual harassment allegation emerged, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan and Mr Akpabio had a heated argument during the plenary on 20 February over the relocation of her assigned seat in the chamber.

The matter was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions for investigation. During the committee’s hearing, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan was absent, while the sergeant-at-arms and several senators appeared to testify in support of the senate president regarding her conduct at the plenary.

While the issue was still under committee review, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan appeared on Arise Television on 28 February, where she accused Mr Akpabio of sexual harassment. She recounted an incident that occurred on 8 December 2023, when she and her husband visited the residence of the senate president in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

She alleged that during the visit, the senate president held her hand, led her around his house, and then made inappropriate advances towards her, even in her husband’s presence. She also claimed that Mr Akpabio once insinuated that she should “take care of him” if she wanted her motions to receive favourable consideration on the floor of the Senate.

On 6 March, the Kogi senator was suspended for six months over alleged misconduct and refusal to comply with the chamber’s sitting arrangement during the plenary session on 20 February.

She has since resumed her duties after serving her suspension period, though the issue generated several lawsuits, many of which are still pending in court.

Her suspension led to a public outcry under the banner, ‘We are all Natasha,’ shining light on women’s rights and attracting international reaction.

Femicide

By the second quarter of the year, Andrew Ominikoron, who gained publicity for the wrong reason, was sent to the ‘hangman.’

He was convicted of attempted rape and murder of 22-year-old Bamise Ayanwola, and consequently, sentenced to death by hanging. The judgment, hailed as a major victory against femicide, set a strong precedent in the fight against the intentional killing of women.

Advocacy groups, including DOHS Cares, focused on women and children, said the court’s ruling is a welcome development in the fight against gender-based violence.

Also, in late April, a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court convicted Osinachi Nwachukwu’s widower, Peter, to death by hanging. The court found him culpable of his wife’s death.

The gospel singer’s death in 2022 drew attention to domestic violence and “wife battery” culture that often goes unreported in Nigerian society due to stigma and weak law enforcement, among other factors.

The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) also applauded the judgment as a “significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for women and children in Nigeria.

Tinubu mid-term review

By mid-year, President Bola Tinubu had spent two years in Aso Rock. PREMIUM TIMES reported that his administration has yet to issue a clear executive directive to advance gender inclusion.

During his inauguration in 2023, he pledged to significantly increase the representation of women in governance. He even said he would propose legislation mandating 35 per cent female inclusion, urging public and private institutions alike to adopt similar measures.

But two years on, the president has proposed no such law. Moreover, only eight of his 48 ministers are women—a mere 17 per cent.

Also, Mr Tinubu has been silent on the fate of the five gender bills rejected by the National Assembly in 2022 during the Muhammadu Buhari administration. The bills sought to ensure affirmative action for women in political parties, special legislative seats for women, citizenship for foreign spouses of Nigerian women, affirmative action for women in ministerial appointments, and a bill on indigenship that would allow married women to choose their state of origin.

Reserved/Special Seats Bill for women

The national conversation shifted to involving more women in the lawmaking process.

The special or reserved seat bill gained significant momentum, proposing additional legislative seats exclusively for women to address underrepresentation in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Titled, “A bill for an act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for seat reservation for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly; and for related matters,” the proposed legislation is one of the most ambitious attempts yet to correct the imbalance in women’s political representation.

Reintroduced in 2024 by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu and 12 other members, the bill proposes the creation of one additional legislative seat to be contested by women only for each state and the FCT in the Senate and House of Representatives, which would total 74 seats.

It further proposes three special seats for women, each at the 36 State Houses of Assembly, totalling 108 women-only seats.

If passed, Nigeria’s legislature would expand to 146 senators, 397 members of the House, and 1,098 state legislators.

The reserved seats would offer equal status, powers, and privileges as the existing seats, and women occupying them would not be barred from contesting regular seats.

The bill has been referred to the Committee on Constitution Review for further legislative action.

Maryam Sanda: Controversial presidential pardon

In October, President Tinubu’s decision to grant a presidential pardon to Maryam Sanda, a convicted murderer, unsettled many Nigerians.

Ms Sanda was convicted of killing her husband.

The president granted state pardons and clemency to 175 convicted individuals, including those serving various drug-related sentences. Ms Sanda was sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, the late Bilyaminu Bello, in their Abuja home on 19 November 2017.

Ms Sanda, a mother of two, had stabbed the late Mr Bello to death with a broken groundnut bottle in the neck, chest and genitals after accusing him of infidelity.

This development stirred controversy and reopened wounds of the victim’s family, who questioned the action of the president. The victim’s family condemned it as the “worst possible injustice.”

But the deceased’s father, said to be an absent parent, later forgave Ms Sanda, drawing criticism from Mr Bello’s associates.

This development prompted the presidency to commute her death sentence, reversing its earlier

pronouncement. Ms Sanda’s sentence was then reduced to 12 years’ imprisonment on compassionate grounds, citing her good conduct, reformation, and the need to consider the welfare of her children. However, the Supreme Court later affirmed her death sentence.

Lagos records 8,692 domestic violence cases in one year

In Lagos, state officials documented 8,692 cases of domestic and sexual violence between August 2024 and July 2025.
The youngest survivor was an 18-month-old baby, while the oldest was 79 years old. The state authority noted that sexual and gender-based violence cut across all age groups.

Seven years on: Renewed justice demands for Ochanya

The unresolved 2018 rape and death of 13-year-old Ochanya Ogbanje resurfaced later in the year, sparking outrage, petitions and calls to reopen investigations against the prime suspect who evaded justice.

The family of the deceased teenager who died from complications linked to prolonged sexual abuse petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to reopen her case and declare the prime suspect, Victor Ogbuja, wanted.

The bereaved, in a petition signed by their lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, urged the police to recall the case file from the Benue State Police Command and place the suspect on a watch list. However, there has been no positive feedback yet.

Mass abductions of students

As Nigerians looked forward to the end of the year, a familiar tragedy struck in the north; students from Kebbi and Niger were abducted.

Over 200 children and staff were kidnapped by gunmen from a school in Niger State.

The abduction of the students from Saint Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, in Niger State’s Agwara district, drew widespread condemnation. They have all been released.

The attack was among a spate of recent mass abductions, including the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi.

In Kebbi, gunmen reportedly scaled the school perimeter on 17 November, engaged police in a gunfight, and abducted 25 female students from their dormitory. Sadly, the school’s vice principal, Hassan Makuku, was shot and killed while trying to shield the students.

Abduction of schoolgirls has become a recurring terror. Not less than 1,400 have become victims of mass abduction since the Chibok attack in 2014.

Women spotlight

PREMIUM TIMES featured women across different sectors prominently in 2025.

PREMIUM TIMES partnered with the Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (WCCIMA) to promote women entrepreneurs across Nigeria.

The agreement was to create and implement programmes, initiatives, and campaigns designed to support and promote women entrepreneurs across Nigeria.

PREMIUM TIMES also featured Women in Management, Business, and Public Service (WIMBIZ) in its reports. WIMBIZ is a Nigerian non-profit organisation committed to advancing and empowering women in leadership.

Adenike Adeyemi, executive director of FATE Foundation, shared her journey to the top, the power of data-driven advocacy, and why true gender equity requires more than visibility. She said women must redesign systems, not just break barriers.

Olajobi Makinwa spoke about what true leadership is — it is about creating space for others to rise with you and shaping a legacy that empowers many.

READ ALSO: Key developments in women’s rights, equality in Nigeria (November 2025 Edition)

For its Women in STEAM series, professionals in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics shared their experiences, winning strategies, challenges and the impact they are making in their fields.

Blessing Egbeyemi, an undergraduate and entrepreneur in the tech industry, founded Niimo Tech Hub to proffer technological solutions. She shared her experiences of being a woman in a male-dominated field and her strategies to surmount them.

On her part, Niona Nio-Ogie, a graduate of Zoology at the University of Benin, shared how the lack of job opportunities after her NYSC led her to set up ‘Your Favourite Gadget Girl’ with a physical presence in Lagos and Abuja.

Similarly, Blessing Fajugbagbe, a dynamic professional with technology, marketing, and design expertise, envisions a future where women in tech are the norm, not the exception and where the phrase is no longer necessary.

Policy progress

In August, the federal government made menstrual health and hygiene management a public priority by placing it on the national agenda.

Nigeria validated the first National Policy on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management (MHHM). The Nigerian government advanced women’s empowerment through the validation of the MHHM policy, aiming to achieve a stigma-free society by 2030.