Special Seats Bill: N’Assembly Leadership Inaugurates Women’s Caucus as Constitution Amendment Vote Nears

• UK says proposed law will boost female representation

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The leadership of the National Assembly has inaugurated the Nigerian Women Parliamentary Caucus as lawmakers prepare for clause-by-clause voting in the ongoing alteration of the 1999 Constitution, signalling renewed institutional support for the proposed Special Seats for Women Bill.

The inauguration, held in Abuja yesterday to commemorate International Women’s Day 2026, brought together female federal and state legislators under a coordinated platform aimed at strengthening advocacy for gender-responsive legislation and increased representation of women in governance.

The event was convened by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), the research and capacity-building arm of the National Assembly, in collaboration with development partners and women-focused institutions.

The Special Seats for Women Bill before the National Assembly proposes six additional seats in the Senate,  one per geopolitical zone; 37 additional seats in the House of Representatives,  one per state and the Federal Capital Territory; and 108 additional seats across State Houses of Assembly, three per state.

Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, described the proposed legislation as a constitutional mechanism designed to address the under-representation of women in elective offices.

He said the National Assembly was approaching a critical stage in the constitutional amendment process, with voting on amendment bills expected in the coming weeks.

According to him, the proposed legislation seeks to deepen inclusiveness in Nigeria’s democratic framework by expanding opportunities for women to participate in legislative decision-making.

The renewed push for the bill has attracted support from development partners and institutions, including UN Women, the British High Commission, the High Commission of Canada in Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the National Council of Women Societies.

In his remarks, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, represented by the Deputy Head of UK Development Agency, Graham Gass, urged the National Assembly to proceed with the vote on the Special Seats Bill and described the period as an opportunity to advance democratic inclusion.

Montgomery said there were moral, democratic and developmental arguments in support of women’s representation, noting that evidence from other jurisdictions showed that broader inclusion could positively impact economic growth, human capital development and social justice.

He assured that international partners would continue to support efforts aimed at enhancing women’s participation in politics.

Representing the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, said the House leadership remained committed to measures that would improve women’s political participation.

She called for sustained engagement with political parties to strengthen internal mechanisms that promote women’s inclusion, alongside the proposed constitutional amendments.

In a message delivered on behalf of the Speaker, the House reaffirmed that addressing the under-representation of women in political and decision-making spaces remained a priority of the 10th Assembly.

Abass noted that while women constitute a significant proportion of the population, their presence in elective positions remains comparatively low.

The House leadership said it was supporting the Special Seats proposal as a temporary constitutional measure to expand women’s representation in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.

He added that the broader legislative agenda also includes measures to strengthen legal protections against gender-based violence, promote access to education and economic opportunities, and ensure equal rights in areas such as employment and property ownership.

The Special Seats Bill was first introduced in the 9th National Assembly but did not secure the required votes in the House of Representatives in 2022. It was reintroduced in the 10th Assembly as House Bill 1349 and passed second reading in July 2024.

The bill is among those recommended for passage in the joint report of the Senate and the House of Representatives following public hearings on the constitutional amendment process.

Stakeholders at the inauguration expressed optimism that the formal launch of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus would enhance coordination among female lawmakers at federal and state levels ahead of the final vote on the constitutional amendment bills.