The National Assembly has proposed the creation of 74 additional seats for women in the Senate and House of Representatives, alongside three reserved seats in each state House of Assembly, in a major constitutional reform initiative aimed at addressing the persistent underrepresentation of women 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), where he said the proposal was designed to remove barriers to women’s participation in governance and promote a more inclusive political culture.
Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District and is Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, explained that the proposed amendment would create additional legislative seats exclusively for women without displacing existing elected representatives.
The proposal would add 37 seats to the Senate and another 37 to the House of Representatives, giving each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory one additional seat reserved for women in each chamber.
At the state level, the committee is proposing three additional seats exclusively for women in each of the 36 state Houses of Assembly. The arrangement is expected to operate for 16 years, covering four electoral cycles, before a comprehensive review.
Bamidele described the initiative as the outcome of extensive consultations and consensus-building, stressing that the National Assembly had begun the constitutional amendment process early to ensure a thorough and inclusive exercise.
He said: “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 maintained that the proposal was not a partisan initiative but a constitutional intervention to address the exclusion of women from 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 added that the resolve of the 10th National Assembly had been strengthened by advocacy from prominent government figures, including the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
He, however, acknowledged that the proposal would require the support of state legislatures to become law, saying the Constitution Review Committee was actively engaging the state Houses of Assembly to secure the necessary concurrence.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional amendment must receive the support of at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly, in addition to the required approval by both chambers of the National Assembly. The proposed special seats are therefore not yet an established constitutional provision. TheCable+2
In a further explanation of the proposed arrangement, reports published on Tuesday, November 3, indicated that the 16-year provision was designed as a temporary affirmative-action measure, allowing four electoral cycles to assess its effectiveness before a comprehensive review. The Guardian+1
Beyond women’s political representation, Bamidele called for stronger legislative interventions to protect vulnerable groups, particularly women, children and persons with disabilities, through improved access to healthcare, education and social protection.
He said the state had a responsibility to provide adequate protection where market forces and traditional structures failed to safeguard vulnerable members of society.
On access to justice, the Senate Leader insisted that constitutional guarantees and statutory provisions must translate into practical protection for victims of abuse. “Justice must be accessible, affordable, timely, and effective,” he said.
He stressed that women experiencing domestic violence should be able to seek protection without intimidation or social condemnation, while children who suffer abuse must be heard, protected from further harm and provided with appropriate support.
He also called for victims to have access to legal assistance, medical care and psychosocial services, while perpetrators should be held accountable in accordance with due process and the rule of law.
Bamidele urged 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 challenged FIDA to deepen its engagement with the National Assembly and other relevant institutions by identifying gaps in existing laws, proposing necessary reforms and ensuring that government policies and budgetary allocations deliver tangible benefits to vulnerable Nigerians.
Earlier, 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 warned that the increasing use of artificial intelligence and digital platforms had created new threats, including cyberstalking, online harassment, deepfake images, impersonation and the exploitation of children.
She called for stronger cooperation among government institutions, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, universities, religious and traditional leaders, the media and civil society organisations to address gender-based violence and child abuse.
The Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, described Bamidele as well placed to address emerging challenges affecting women and children and to promote legislative and policy reforms.
In her welcome address, the FIDA Ekiti State Chairperson, Ayobami Olowoyo-Richards, reaffirmed the association’s commitment to promoting, protecting and preserving the rights of women and children.
She observed that changing social realities continued to present new and complex challenges to their safety, dignity and fundamental rights, stressing the need to strengthen laws, institutions and collective responses to ensure that justice remained accessible and effective.
The proposed special legislative seats represent one of the most significant affirmative-action measures currently being considered under Nigeria’s constitutional review process. If approved, the initiative would expand women’s representation across the country’s legislative institutions while preserving existing electoral seats.
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