Lawmakers Push for 182 Reserved Seats as Calls to Improve Women’s Political Representation Gains Traction
Nigeria is once again under pressure to confront its longstanding gender imbalance in political leadership as the House of Representatives, working with key civil society groups, intensifies efforts to establish 182 constitutionally guaranteed seats for women across national and state legislatures.
The proposal gained momentum during a strategic media parley in Abuja, where the House of Representatives, the TOS Foundation, and the National Secretariat for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill Campaign Coalition jointly emphasised that Nigeria’s global reputation is increasingly at odds with its performance on gender inclusion.
While often celebrated as the “Giant of Africa,” the country currently ranks 184th worldwide in female parliamentary representation, one of the lowest globally.
Under the plan scheduled for consideration during the constitutional amendment vote on December 16, the Reserved Seats for Women Bill seeks to expand the National Assembly to 543 seats.
The expansion will introduce 74 new positions for women, 37 each in the Senate and the House of Representatives, alongside 108 additional seats reserved for women in State Houses of Assembly.
House spokesperson and co-sponsor of the bill, Hon. Akin Rotimi, described the initiative as both a corrective step and a democratic necessity.
“The time has come for the inequality suffered by Nigerian women to be corrected,” he said, urging colleagues to approach the proposal as a structural reform rather than a political favour.
Convener of the coalition and Founder of the TOS Foundation, Chief Osasu Igbinedion Ogwuche, delivered one of the most forceful pleas for action, arguing that Nigeria’s credibility is weakened by its failure to elevate women into leadership.
“We cannot call ourselves the Giant of Africa and perform so poorly in women’s representation. Smaller nations emerging from war are doing better,” she said, referencing a recent conversation with the Speaker of South Sudan’s Parliament.
She further highlighted stark demographic realities: women constitute 49% of Nigeria’s population and 47% of registered voters, yet hold under 5% of elective positions. “It is an embarrassment.
Women have rebuilt nations destroyed by war, why are we still begging for space at the table?” she asked.
Ogwuche also called on the media to step up coverage of the bill, arguing that the press plays a decisive role in shaping public opinion and influencing policymakers.
During a technical briefing, Mr. Chidozie Aja, Special Adviser to the Deputy Speaker, clarified that even with the additional seats, Nigeria would only reach 13.6% women’s representation, far short of global benchmarks.
He stressed that the measure should not be seen as tokenism but as a temporary structural remedy for decades of systemic exclusion.
Reserved seats, he noted, will not replace existing ones but will expand total representation, with political parties required to field only female candidates for the designated positions.
The bill also proposes that the special seats remain in place for four election cycles, equivalent to 16 years, while amending several constitutional provisions, including Sections 48, 49, 71, 91, 117, and the revised Section 42, to legally accommodate Temporary Special Measures.
Speaking on media accountability, Mrs. Adaora Sidney-Jack of AIT urged journalists to adopt responsible reporting practices that avoid diminishing women or reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
“This bill is a policy document, not a sensational story. Report it with fairness, research, context, and without gender bias,” she said. She warned that misleading headlines or prejudicial language often distort public understanding and undermine women’s political participation.
The deliberations in Abuja underscore a broader national debate: whether Nigeria is ready to take decisive steps toward gender-equitable governance. As the December 16 vote approaches, advocates argue that the Reserved Seats Bill represents not just legislative reform, but a test of the country’s commitment to inclusive democracy.
