The House of Representatives has approved a bill for its third reading to reserve 74 seats for women in the National Assembly.
This bill, which passed during the plenary session on Tuesday, July 9, aims to boost female participation in politics and governance.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and 12 other lawmakers, seeks to amend sections 48, 49, 71, and 117 of the constitution. The amendments would establish one “special seat reserved exclusively for women” in both the Senate and the House of Representatives for each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The bill is set to take effect after the current National Assembly’s term ends in 2027, with a provision for review every 16 years. Additionally, the bill proposes altering Section 91 of the constitution to create three special seats “reserved exclusively” for women in the houses of assembly of each state.
Co-sponsor Joshua Gana led the debate, emphasizing the bill’s intent to address the “profound imbalance and under-representation of women in the national assembly and at sub-national levels.” The bill successfully passed its second reading following a voice vote.
