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The push for women’s inclusion in Nigeria’s governance has received a digital boost with the launch of a 469 Tracker, a civic-tech platform designed to monitor the position of every member of the National Assembly on the proposed Reserved Seats for Women Bill.
The initiative, unveiled in Abuja by a group, TOS Foundation, is an interactive website that allows citizens to see, in real time, which of the 469 federal lawmakers support, oppose, or remain undecided on the bill.
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Open in WhatsAppThe name “469 Tracker” represents the total number of seats in both chambers of the National Assembly – 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives.
At the launch, the Founder of TOS Foundation, Osasu Ogwuche, said in a statement on Friday that the initiative aims to bring legislative accountability closer to Nigerians, especially young people and women who often feel disconnected from political participation.
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“For too long, political participation has felt distant from young people and women. With 469 Tracker, we’re using technology and storytelling to make legislative accountability simple and closer to our digital generation.
“As a young Nigerian, home or abroad, you can now go on the website, check your state, and see where your representatives at the national level stand on this landmark bill,” she said.
Ms Ogwuche explained that the platform is structured to automatically update whenever a lawmaker changes position on the bill.
She expressed optimism that the real-time visibility will encourage greater public dialogue and more support for the proposed legislation.
Why the bill matters
Ms Ogwuche noted that the Reserved Seats for Women Bill seeks to expand women’s representation in governance by creating 182 women-only legislative seats across federal and state levels – 37 in the Senate, 37 in the House of Representatives, and three in each of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
It is considered a landmark piece of legislation that could reshape gender balance in Nigeria’s political space.
As reported by PREMIUM TIMES, the proposal is structured as a temporary corrective measure to last four election cycles, or 16 years, before review.
The idea is to address structural barriers that have long hindered women’s political participation, including a lack of access to party structures, high campaign costs, and persistent cultural and institutional bias against women candidates.
Currently, women occupy only four of 109 seats in the Senate and about 18 of 360 in the House of Representatives, representing less than five per cent of the membership of the federal legislative body.
In an opinion piece published by PREMIUM TIMES, Ms Ogwuche stressed that the bill “is not charity; it is a corrective temporary special measure.” She added that lawmakers who support the bill would be “standing on the right side of history.”
Beyond tracking lawmakers’ positions, the 469 Tracker integrates open data, media storytelling, and influencer-driven advocacy to mobilise Nigeria’s youth and digital communities.
The Foundation said the platform is part of a broader movement to ensure that Nigeria’s next democratic phase is inclusive, transparent, and gender-balanced.
Growing political support
According to the statement, the TOS Foundation is working with digital creators, grassroots organisers, and journalists to make governance advocacy relatable and measurable.
The Foundation plans to use the tracker to strengthen public participation in legislative processes through strategic partnerships, social-media campaigns, and newsroom collaborations.
The campaign has already secured high-level political support. Both the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, have publicly endorsed the Reserved Seats for Women Bill.
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The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, and the First Lady, Remi Tinubu, have also declared their backing, alongside the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Spouses’ Forum.
If successful, the 469 Tracker could become a defining example of how data and digital tools can shape public engagement in Nigeria’s law-making process.
About TOS Foundation
The Osasu Show (TOS) Foundation is a youth-driven organisation at the intersection of technology, media, and social impact, working to strengthen democracy and civic participation in Nigeria.
Its initiatives use innovation, storytelling, and popular culture to inspire action, demand accountability, and build the next generation of civic leaders.
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