Nigeria faces mounting pressure to fix its abysmal record on women’s political representation as the House of Representatives, alongside civil society groups has pushed for the creation of 182 constitutionally reserved seats for women across federal and state legislatures.
At a strategic media parley in Abuja, the House of Representatives, the TOS Foundation, and the National Secretariat for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill Campaign Coalition warned that Nigeria cannot continue to brand itself “Giant of Africa” while ranking 184th in the world for female parliamentary representation.
If lawmakers approve the bill during the constitution amendment vote on December 16, the National Assembly will expand to 543 seats, including 74 new seats exclusively for women—37 in the Senate and 37 in the House of Representatives. An additional 108 seats will be created in all State Houses of Assembly.
House spokesperson and co-sponsor of the bill, Hon. Akin Rotimi, said the proposal is a long-overdue remedy to decades of structural exclusion.
“The time has come for the inequality suffered by Nigerian women to be corrected,”
Rotimi declared, urging legislators to embrace the reform as a democratic necessity rather than a political favour.
Convener of the coalition, Chief Osasu Igbinedion Ogwuche, delivered a fiery address, arguing that Nigeria’s global reputation is at stake.
“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, recounting her recent conversation with the Speaker of South Sudan’s Parliament.
She noted that women constitute 49% of Nigeria’s population and 47% of registered voters, yet hold less than 5% of elective positions.
“It is an embarrassment. Women rebuilt nations destroyed by war why are we still begging for space at the table?”she queried.
She appealed to journalists to intensify coverage of the bill, noting the media’s pivotal role in shaping public opinion and influencing policy outcomes.
In a technical presentation, Mr. Chidozie Aja, Special Adviser to the Deputy Speaker, revealed:
“Even if the 74 additional National Assembly seats are created, Nigeria will only reach 13.6% representation. That is still far below global standards.”
He explained that the bill is not tokenism, but a temporary structural correction to balance decades of uneven political participation.
“Reserved seats will not replace existing seats. They will expand representation and ensure political parties field only female candidates for these positions,”Aja stated.
The proposal will apply for four election cycles (16 years) and alters several constitutional sections including 48, 49, 71, 91, 117, and recently Section 42 to allow for Temporary Special Measures (TSM).
Speaking on media framing, Mrs Adaora Sidney-Jack of AIT urged journalists to abandon narratives that subtly silence or diminish women.
“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 poorly framed headlines often undermine women’s leadership and distort public perception.
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