The National Assembly has proposed 74 additional legislative seats for women at the federal level and three reserved seats in each state House of Assembly as part of a constitutional amendment to address gender imbalance in Nigeria’s political representation.
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed the proposal on Monday at the 2026 Law Week of the International Federation of Women Lawyers in Ekiti State, saying the initiative would expand women’s access to elective positions without displacing existing lawmakers.
Under the proposal, the Senate and House of Representatives would each have 37 additional seats reserved for women, with one seat allocated to every state and the Federal Capital Territory in each chamber.
The proposed amendment also provides for three additional women-only seats in each state House of Assembly, an arrangement expected to run for 16 years, covering four electoral cycles, before a comprehensive review.
Bamidele, who is Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said the bill was receiving attention as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
“A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for special seats for women in the National and state Houses of Assembly and for related matters is receiving our attention at the National Assembly,” he said.
The Senate leader explained that the proposal followed extensive consultations and consensus-building, adding that the reform was designed to promote a more inclusive political culture.
He said the proposed 16-year duration was a sunset clause intended to provide time for the development of broader female participation in politics.
“This is a sunset clause designed to ensure sustainability and to allow for the organic development of a more inclusive political culture,” Bamidele said.
He added that the National Assembly was engaging state Houses of Assembly, whose approval is constitutionally required for the amendment to take effect.
Describing the initiative as a constitutional intervention rather than a partisan project, Bamidele argued that Nigeria’s democracy would remain incomplete without greater representation of women.
“A democracy that systematically excludes over half of its population from the decision-making tables that determine their futures is, at best, a flawed democracy and, at worst, a veiled oligarchy,” he said.
The proposal comes amid longstanding concerns over the low number of women in elective offices across the country.
Bamidele also called for stronger legislative measures to protect women and children from abuse, stressing that access to justice must be affordable, timely and effective.
“A woman who suffers domestic violence must be able to seek protection without intimidation or social condemnation. A child who experiences abuse must be heard, protected from further harm, and provided with appropriate support,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, also urged stronger legal frameworks to tackle emerging forms of abuse, including cyberstalking, online harassment, deepfake images and child exploitation.
She called for collaboration among government institutions, law enforcement agencies, universities, the media and civil society organisations to address gender-based violence.
The FIDA Ekiti State Chairperson, Ayobami Olowoyo-Richards, said the organisation remained committed to protecting the rights of women and children, urging stakeholders to strengthen laws and institutions to ensure justice was accessible.
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