Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu have declared strong support for the Reserved Seats Bill, describing it as vital to boosting women’s participation in political leadership.
The national assembly leadership also assured that the proposed law—currently before both chambers—will receive due consideration.
Speaking on Monday at the opening of the 2025 Law Week of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Abuja branch, Akpabio said the theme of the event was timely, reflecting the group’s commitment to gender equality and meaningful representation of women in governance.
Represented by Idiat Oluranti, a senator, Akpabio said women’s contributions to nation-building are foundational, not supplementary, recalling lessons of discipline, resilience and dignity he gained from his mother.
“When I fight for gender equality and push for female representation, I’m doing it as a policy,” he said.
The deputy speaker said Nigeria could no longer ignore the “structural imbalance” in its political representation.
He noted that although women make up 49.43 percent of Nigeria’s population, they hold fewer than 5 percent of seats in the National Assembly—ranking the country 178th of 182 globally.
“When women are absent from the legislature, perspectives disappear, conversations narrow, and our laws lose the balance that democracy requires. No nation can rise with half its talent standing outside the room,” he said.
Kalu said Nigerian women had the capacity to excel but continued to face systemic barriers, including party structures, campaign financing, and entrenched sociocultural norms.
He described his proposed Reserved Seats Bill (HB 1349) as a temporary constitutional remedy to decades-long exclusion, noting that PLAC estimated its implementation would cost less than one percent of the national assembly’s annual budget.
Citing global research, Kalu added that closing gender gaps could unlock significant economic value—up to $28 trillion globally by 2030, with billions in potential gains for Nigeria.
Kalu said the 10th house of representatives had placed inclusion at the core of its legislative agenda and that the constitution review committee, which he chairs, was committed to transparent, broad-based public consultation.
He urged FIDA and other stakeholders to actively engage the review process.
“We are closer to equitable representation now than ever before. This is the moment when commitment must outweigh comfort and conviction must triumph over caution,” he said.
