A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) has urged the National Assembly to pass the bill seeking to reserve seats for women in the parliament, saying that Nigeria could inject $22.9 billion into its economy by ensuring full political participation for women.
The organisations noted that the bill should not be seen as a form of tokenism, but a corrective policy to address deep-rooted structural barriers that have excluded Nigerian women from formal political leadership for decades.
The coalition made the call at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday to launch a national campaign calling for the urgent passage of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill in the National Assembly.
Members of the coalition demanding urgent legislative action include: Chief Executive Officer of TOS Group, Osasu Igbinedion Ogwuche, Chief Executive of Connected Development (CODE), Hamzat Lawal, Special Adviser to the Deputy Speaker on Youth and Women Affairs, Joy Akut, and Director, TOS, Kingsley Sintim.
The House of Representatives had last year passed for second reading the bill seeking to amend the constitution to create extra legislative seats for women in the National and State Assemblies.
The bill Sponsored by Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu and 12 others seeks to alter Sections 48, 49, 71, and 117 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to create one “Special seat reserved exclusively for women in the Senate and House of Representatives for each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory
The bill proposes to take effect after the term of the current national assembly elapses and is subject to review every 16 years.
The bill also proposes to alter Section 91 of the constitution to provide for three special seats “Reserved exclusively” for women in the State Houses of Assembly.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Ogwuche lamented that women make up less than four per cent of lawmakers in the National Assembly.
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She noted that the proposed bill aims to correct centuries of political exclusion by ensuring a minimum number of legislative seats for women in Nigeria’s federal and state assemblies.
Ogwuche lamented that Nigerian women are already leading in homes, businesses, and communities, yet remain excluded from political decision-making spaces.
She said the proposed legislation is not a favor to women but a systemic fix, similar to what successful nations like Rwanda and Finland have done by prioritizing gender inclusion in leadership.
On his part, CEO of Connected Development, Hamzat Lawal, said allowing special seats for women is not a handout, but a process towards justice and fairness.
According to him, Nigeria is lagging behind in terms of gender equality.
“We’ve seen women led in various sectors. When in politics, they say, go and wait for your time. This is also not about giving back power to women. This is about them occupying their spaces and agency. We see women bring forward issues around education, health care. We see them bring about issues that empower even young people and children.”
Director, TOS, Kingsley Sintim said the bill is not just a symbolic gesture but a strategic move to unlock Nigeria’s full potential.
He said that where women lead, economies grow and societies thrive, making gender inclusion a smart national priority.
