National Assembly proposes 74 additional seats for women
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele says the National Assembly Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has proposed 74 additional seats for women in the Senate and House of Representatives as part of efforts to increase female representation in Nigeria’s political system.
The proposal provides for 37 additional seats in the Senate and 37 in the House of Representatives, giving each state and the Federal Capital Territory one extra seat in both chambers.
Bamidele, who is also Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, disclosed this on Monday at the 2026 Law Week organised by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ekiti State Chapter.
He said the committee had also proposed three additional seats for women in each state House of Assembly, without displacing existing elected members.
According to Bamidele, the proposals form part of a constitutional amendment bill seeking to provide special seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly.
“The proposal, as it stands, is meticulous in its design. It seeks to add 37 seats in the Senate and 37 seats in the House of Representatives,” he said.
He explained that the proposed arrangement would operate for 16 years, covering four electoral cycles, after which it would undergo a comprehensive review.
Bamidele described the initiative as a product of extensive consultations and consensus-building, adding that the committee had begun engaging state Houses of Assembly to secure the constitutionally required approval.
He said the proposal was not a partisan initiative but an attempt to address the under-representation of women in political decision-making.
“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 Senate leader also acknowledged the advocacy of First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and other stakeholders in advancing the proposal.
He said the National Assembly was also considering legislative measures to strengthen access to healthcare, education and social protection for women, children and persons with disabilities.
Speaking on the protection of women and children, Bamidele called for laws and justice systems that respond effectively to domestic violence, child abuse and other emerging threats.
He said victims should have access to legal assistance, medical care and psychosocial support, while perpetrators should be held accountable in accordance with due process and the rule of law.
The FIDA programme was chaired by Mrs Ayobami Olowoyo-Richards and held under the theme, “Justice in a Changing World: Responding to New Challenges Affecting Women and Children.”
Other dignitaries at the event included the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Information and National Orientation, Steve Fatoba, and Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye.