The 10th National Assembly has advanced a sweeping legislative reform aimed at addressing female underrepresentation in governance, considering a proposal to create 74 additional dedicated seats for women across both chambers of the Federal Legislature.
The disclosure was made by the Senate Leader and Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), who reiterated the parliament’s commitment to breaking longstanding barriers hindering female inclusion in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Under the proposed constitutional amendments, 37 special seats would be created in the Senate and another 37 in the House of Representatives. Under the proposed blueprint, these allocated seats will function alongside existing constituency seats, ensuring that traditional electoral contests remain intact while guaranteeing affirmative action representation for women across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Additionally, provisions for state-level legislative seats reserved for women are under active consideration to cascade the impact down to grassroots governance.
Nigeria currently ranks among the lowest globally for female legislative participation, with women occupying less than 5% of seats in the National Assembly. Previous attempts to pass gender-responsive bills during the 9th Assembly suffered setbacks, sparking widespread protests by civil society organizations at the National Assembly gates.
Senator Bamidele emphasized that the current constitutional review exercise aims to right historic imbalances by prioritizing electoral reforms, gender inclusivity, judicial recalibration, and administrative restructuring.
The bill is expected to undergo public hearings across the country’s six geopolitical zones before undergoing further legislative scrutiny and voting by both federal chambers and two-thirds of state houses of assembly.
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