UN Women Nigeria and partners have urged nationwide backing for the Special Seats Bill to boost women’s representation in politics.
The appeal was made at a Wednesday conference in Abuja themed “Special Seats: Opportunities and Challenges – Options for National and Grassroots Advocacy.”
Mrs Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, described the bill as a vital step toward correcting the country’s stark gender imbalance in governance.
She noted that Nigerian women currently occupy just 3% of Senate seats and 3.9% in the House of Representatives.
“We must come up with an actionable plan that gives Nigerians an opportunity to engage and add their voice to this parliamentary initiative,” Eyong said.
She explained that UN Women’s advocacy includes weekly broadcasts on 15 radio stations and two TV stations, along with extensive print and digital campaigns. In addition, the organisation will support 120 town halls across 24 states and encourage memoranda submissions to the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Constitutional Reform, backed by over 500,000 physical endorsements.
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Mrs Ebere Ifendu, Chairperson of the UN Women Participation Technical Working Group, described the bill as a temporary but necessary measure to accelerate inclusive governance.
She said the proposed amendments to Sections 48, 49, and 91 of the 1999 Constitution would establish 74 new seats in the National Assembly and 108 in State Houses of Assembly—totalling 182 reserved seats for women.
Dr Asaba Vilta-Bashir, Director-General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, stressed the importance of grassroots mobilisation to create awareness and public support.
Dr Chidozie Aka, Special Adviser on Legislative Duties to Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, said the proposed 74 seats were not enough, calling for broader support to deepen women’s political involvement.
The conference brought together stakeholders from civil society, political institutions, and the development sector to discuss unified strategies for advocacy and to build momentum for the bill’s passage at the National Assembly.
NAN
