Nigerian women leaders have intensified calls for the passage of the long-awaited Special Seats Bill, urging the 10th National Assembly to correct decades of gender imbalance in political representation.
The minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, and the National Women Leaders Forum of Political Parties made the call at a press briefing in Abuja, ahead of the crucial vote on the Bill.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim described the moment as "historic," noting that Nigeria's democracy cannot thrive when half of the population is excluded from decision-making.
"Nigeria is home to over 104 million women, yet only 21 women serve in the National Assembly. In 13 states, women have no representation at all. This gap is not a reflection of competence, but the result of structural barriers that have persisted for decades," she noted.
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She explained that the Special Seats Bill seeks to create time-bound additional seats for women in the National and State Assemblies, providing a constitutional mechanism to correct historical imbalances.
"Qualified women must be at the table where policies on maternal health, menstrual hygiene, gender-sensitive budgeting and national development are made. The presence of women strengthens democracy," she said.
National Women Leader of the ruling APC, Dr. Mary Idele Alile, said Nigeria's statistics are alarming compared to other African countries.
She cited Rwanda, South Africa, Ethiopia, Senegal and Namibia, countries where women occupy between 40 per cent and 63 per cent of parliamentary seats, contrasting sharply with Nigeria's 4.2 per cent representation across the National Assembly.
"With only four female senators and 17 members in the House of Representatives, Nigeria ranks among the lowest in Africa. This is not just unfair, it weakens our democracy," she lamented.
Alile emphasised that after 65 years of independence, Nigerian women can no longer wait: "Our mothers waited. We are waiting. The next generation must not wait. The time to pass the bill is now," she said.
