National Assembly To Create 156 New Seats For Women With Passage Of Reserved Seats Bill
Nigerian women could secure up to 156 additional seats across federal and state legislatures if the Reserved Seats for Women Bill presently before the National Assembly is approved and signed into law by the President. The proposed legislation seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to introduce special seats exclusively for women in the Senate, House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly. Supporters of the bill describe it as a corrective, strategic and temporary intervention aimed at addressing the persistent underrepresentation of women in governance after decades of exclusion. Under the original framework of the proposal, each state would produce one reserved female seat in the Senate and one in the House of Representatives, in addition to three seats for women in every state assembly. However, developments indicate that the Senate is instead pressing for a modified arrangement that would allocate one reserved women’s seat per geopolitical zone in the upper chamber. Speaking during a training programme for members of the House of Representatives Press Corps organised by the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs in partnership with the TOS Foundation, the Special Adviser to the Deputy Speaker on Legislative Matters, Chidozie Aja, dismissed claims that the bill was designed to edge men out of existing elective offices. “For emphasis, these seats will not replace existing seats, but will expand representation to create room for women at the table of decision-making. It is important, also to note that political parties will field only female candidates for these seats.” He explained that the bill was initially structured to last for four election cycles, covering a period of 16 years, describing it as a temporary special measure. However, he disclosed that current proposals may lead to either an extension of the duration or the complete removal of the sunset clause. “It is meant to last for four election cycles of 16 years in all. It is a temporary special measure. However, adjustments being proposed so far may either completely remove the sunset clause or extend the duration. Summarily, the Bill seeks to alter Sections 48, 49, 71, 77, 91 and 117 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999; and more recently recommended alteration of Section 42.” Aja noted that while this form of gender-based legislative intervention is new in Nigeria’s political system, it has produced strong results in other African countries. “While this is novel in the Nigerian space, this approach has been used successfully by Rwanda, now the global leader with 61% women in Parliament. Other countries that have successfully implemented this approach, in various forms and mixes, include Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Burkina Faso and Senegal.” He acknowledged that even with the proposed expansion, Nigeria’s overall female representation would still remain relatively low, though it would mark a meaningful step forward. “It is important to note that even if additional 74 seats are granted in the Senate and House of Representatives, bringing the total number of seats to 543, it means that Nigeria will only secure 13.6% women representation in the national parliament. Not an outstanding progress, but significant.” According to him, global evidence supports structural gender quotas as an effective tool for improving governance. “The evidence is clear, countries that adopt structural gender quotas tend to experience stronger representation, better governance, and improved development outcomes.” Aja further stressed that the bill would strengthen Nigeria’s democracy, noting that democracy works best when all segments of society are represented. He explained that Nigeria’s democratic system is currently operating below its full potential because women remain largely excluded from political power. He added that women’s inclusion would make democracy deeper, more legitimate and more stable. He also pointed out that multiple global studies show that when women take active roles in governance, parliaments pass stronger health policies, more education-focused laws, improved social protection frameworks and more community-driven development policies. According to him, women’s presence directly enhances the quality of governance. Aja described women as critical players in peacebuilding, particularly at the grassroots level, noting that their involvement helps reduce conflict and strengthens community resilience. He further maintained that gender inclusion should also be seen as a powerful economic strategy. Citing a study by the McKinsey Global Institute, he revealed that Nigeria’s economy stands to benefit significantly from full inclusion of women in political and economic life. The institute projects a potential overall economic gain of $22.9 billion and up to 23 percent growth in GDP if Nigeria succeeds in substantially reducing gender inequality by 2025.
