Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has endorsed a bill seeking to reserve special seats for women in parliament, urging the 10th National Assembly to expedite its passage.
Sponsored by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, the bill is currently under consideration. A similar proposal introduced in the 9th Assembly by former lawmaker Nkeiruka Onyejeocha had failed to pass.
Speaking at the Art for Governance Exhibition in Abuja, organised by the Deputy Speaker’s Office in collaboration with ElectHER, Tinubu—represented by Hajiya Fatima Tajudeen Abbas, wife of the House Speaker—stressed the importance of women’s leadership in national development.
“In governance and inclusion, it is vital to spotlight the urgent need for greater female representation in leadership and decision-making. Women are crucial to our nation’s progress, yet their representation remains limited,” she said.
She reaffirmed her support for the bill, which mandates at least 35% of legislative and executive seats for women, urging the National Assembly to act swiftly.
The fresh push for an affirmative action for women coincides with this year’s International Women’s Day celebration scheduled for March 8, which, among others, emphasises the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality.
On his part, Deputy Speaker Kalu decried the systemic underrepresentation of women in governance. “Barriers can be broken,” he declared.
ElectHER CEO, Ibijoke Faborode, also highlighted Nigeria’s poor female political representation, with women comprising nearly 50% of the population but less than 4% of the National Assembly. She called the Reserved Seats Bill a potential game changer for Nigeria’s democracy.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imman Suleiman, and other dignitaries also pledged support for the bill’s passage.