Zainab Abdulfattah
Gender advocates in Nigeria are celebrating progress on the Reserved Seats for Women Bill. With the bill set for its third reading in October 2025, there’s growing optimism and urgency. If passed, it will move to State Assemblies before heading to the President for assent. Supporters say a 1% budget bump is a small price for the long-term return of inclusive governance.
The Numbers Are Telling: In the current National Assembly, there are only 4 women in the 109-member Senate (about 3.7 – 4%) . And out of the 360 members in the House of Representatives, women occupy just 17 seats(4.7%) . Combined, that’s 21 women out of 469 national lawmakers, less than 5% representation .
At the state level, 15 of the 36 State Houses of Assemblies in Nigeria have no women representation at all .
This is why the Reserved Seats for Women’s bill is a bold step toward equity. The bill calls for the creation of additional seats; 37 Senate seats, 37 House seats, and 3 per state assembly, all reserved for women.
A Stronger Democracy Isn’t Threatened, It is Forged. Democracy thrives when everyone has a seat at the table. Right now, women who form nearly half our population remain sidelined. This isn’t representation. It’s exclusion.
Countries with gender quotas have seen positive shifts. Countries like Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, and Namibia have shown that gender quotas work, delivering higher representation, stronger policies, and more inclusive governance. Rwanda leads the world with over 60% women in parliament, while Senegal has doubled women’s seats since adopting quotas. Nigeria, as Africa’s largest democracy and economy, cannot remain at the bottom of the table. We must lead by example, not trail behind.
Nigeria cannot afford to lag.
Sources
https://thenationonlineng.net/women-occupying-only-64-of
