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The National Assembly has proposed 74 additional legislative seats for women in the Senate and House of Representatives, alongside three reserved seats in each state House of Assembly, to improve female representation in Nigeria’s political system.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed this on Monday at the 2026 Law Week organised by the Ekiti State chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA).
The event, held under the theme, “Justice in a Changing World: Responding to New Challenges Affecting Women and Children,” provided an opportunity to discuss reforms aimed at strengthening the rights and political participation of women and children.
Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District and is Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said the proposal was part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
He explained that the proposed arrangement would create 37 additional seats for women in the Senate and another 37 in the House of Representatives, with each state and the Federal Capital Territory entitled to one extra seat in both chambers.
According to him, the proposal would also provide three additional seats reserved exclusively for women in each state House of Assembly without displacing existing elected representatives.
Bamidele said the special-seat arrangement was proposed to operate for 16 years, covering four electoral cycles, after which a comprehensive review would be conducted.
He noted that the initiative followed extensive consultations and consensus-building, stressing that the National Assembly had commenced the constitutional review process early to ensure a thorough and inclusive exercise.
The Senate Leader said the committee was engaging state Houses of Assembly, whose concurrence was constitutionally required for the proposed amendment to become effective.
He described the initiative as a non-partisan constitutional intervention designed to address the persistent exclusion of women from political decision-making.
Bamidele argued that a democracy that excludes a significant proportion of its population from governance cannot achieve genuine representative democracy.
He also acknowledged the contributions of prominent government figures, including First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, whose advocacy, he said, had strengthened the resolve of the 10th National Assembly to advance the initiative.
Beyond political representation, the senator called for stronger legislative measures to protect women, children and persons with disabilities through improved access to healthcare, education and social protection programmes.
He maintained that justice must be accessible, affordable, timely and effective, particularly for women experiencing domestic violence and children subjected to abuse.
He called for improved access to legal assistance, medical attention and psychosocial support for victims, while urging that perpetrators be held accountable in accordance with the rule of law.
Bamidele further advocated stronger collaboration among the legislature, executive, judiciary, security agencies, social welfare institutions, religious organisations, traditional rulers, civil society groups and the private sector to address emerging challenges affecting vulnerable groups.
He urged FIDA to sustain its engagement with the National Assembly by identifying gaps in existing laws, recommending reforms and monitoring the implementation of policies and budgetary provisions.
In her address, the Vice-Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, called for stronger legal and institutional frameworks to protect women and children against emerging forms of abuse.
Olarinde identified technology-enabled crimes, including cyberstalking, online harassment, deepfake images, impersonation and the exploitation of children, as growing threats requiring urgent attention.
She advocated stronger cooperation among government institutions, the judiciary, security 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 challenges affecting women and children through legislative and policy reforms.
Earlier, the FIDA Chairperson in Ekiti State, Ayobami Olowoyo-Richards, reaffirmed the association's commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of women and children.
She stressed the need to strengthen existing laws, institutions and collective responses to ensure that justice remained accessible and responsive to the changing realities confronting vulnerable groups.
