National Assembly has proposed 74 additional seats for women in Senate and House of Reps.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the National Assembly has proposed the creation of 74 additional legislative seats for women in the Senate and House of Representatives, alongside three reserved seats for women in each state House of Assembly, as part of efforts to address gender imbalance in Nigeria’s political system.
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed this on Monday at the 2026 Law Week organised by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ekiti State chapter, with the theme, “Justice in a Changing World: Responding to New Challenges Affecting Women and Children.”
Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District and serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said the proposed constitutional amendment was designed to remove barriers limiting women’s participation in governance and promote an inclusive political system.
He explained that the proposal would create 37 additional seats in the Senate and another 37 in the House of Representatives, ensuring that each of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory gets one additional seat in both chambers.
According to him, the proposed seats would be exclusively reserved for women without displacing existing elected representatives.
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Speaking at the event, Bamidele said the proposed amendment was already receiving attention at the National Assembly.
“A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for special seats for women in the National and state Houses of Assembly and for related matters is receiving our attention at the National Assembly,” he said.
The Senate Leader said the proposal followed extensive consultations and consensus-building, noting that the 10th National Assembly had commenced the constitutional review process early to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive exercise.
He described the initiative as a deliberate legislative intervention to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in Nigeria’s political institutions.
“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.
“This suggests that if finally approved, each state of the federation, including the FCT, will have one additional seat in each of the Houses of the National Assembly,” Bamidele stated.
He further disclosed that the Constitution Review Committee had proposed three additional seats for women in each state House of Assembly.
Bamidele said the arrangement was expected to operate for 16 years, covering four electoral cycles, after which a comprehensive review would be conducted to assess its effectiveness and sustainability.
He explained that the proposal included a sunset clause to allow the country to evaluate its impact while encouraging the development of a more inclusive political culture.
The Senate Leader also revealed that the National Assembly was engaging state Houses of Assembly to secure the necessary legislative concurrence required to actualise the constitutional amendment.
He stressed that the initiative was not a partisan political project but a constitutional intervention aimed at ensuring women had greater representation in decision-making.
According to him, the resolve of the 10th National Assembly had been strengthened by sustained advocacy from prominent government figures, including the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu.
Bamidele argued that a democratic system that excludes a significant proportion of its population from political decision-making undermines the principle of representative governance.
“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.
Beyond political representation, the Senate Leader highlighted the need for stronger legislative interventions to protect vulnerable groups, particularly women, children and persons with disabilities.
He said government policies and legislative frameworks must guarantee improved access to healthcare, education and social protection for vulnerable Nigerians.
On the protection of women and children, Bamidele called for laws and institutions capable of responding to emerging threats, including forms of abuse that exploit weaknesses in existing systems and cross geographical boundaries.
He maintained that justice must go beyond constitutional provisions and statutory declarations to become accessible, affordable, timely and effective for victims.
“A woman who suffers domestic violence must be able to seek protection without intimidation or social condemnation. A child who experiences abuse must be heard, protected from further harm, and provided with appropriate support,” he said.
He added that victims must have access to legal assistance, medical care and psychosocial services, while perpetrators must be held accountable in accordance with due process and the rule of law.
Bamidele called for stronger collaboration among the legislature, executive, judiciary, law enforcement agencies, social welfare institutions, religious organisations, traditional rulers, civil society groups and the private sector to improve the protection of women and children.
He also urged FIDA to deepen its engagement with the National Assembly and other relevant institutions by identifying gaps in existing laws, proposing legislative reforms and ensuring that government policies and budgetary allocations translate into tangible benefits for vulnerable Nigerians.
In her address, the Vice-Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Professor Smaranda Olarinde, called for stronger legal and institutional frameworks to protect women and children against emerging forms of abuse, particularly those facilitated by technology and economic vulnerabilities.
Olarinde identified the increasing use of artificial intelligence and digital platforms as creating new threats, including cyberstalking, online harassment, deepfake images, impersonation and the exploitation of children.
She called for greater collaboration among government institutions, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, universities, religious and traditional leaders, the media and civil society organisations to tackle gender-based violence and child abuse.
The Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, described Bamidele as well-positioned to address emerging issues requiring legislative and policy reforms to strengthen the protection of women and children.
In her welcome address, the Chairperson of FIDA, Ekiti State chapter, Ayobami Olowoyo-Richards, reaffirmed the association’s commitment to promoting, protecting and preserving the rights of women and children.
She noted that changing societal realities continued to create new and complex challenges for the safety, dignity and fundamental rights of women and children.
Olowoyo-Richards urged stakeholders to strengthen existing laws, institutions and collective responses to ensure that justice remained accessible, effective and responsive to the needs of vulnerable groups.
The event was attended by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Information and National Orientation, Steve Fatoba, and the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, among other dignitaries.
