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By Gloria Ikibah

A fresh wave of advocacy is sweeping through Abuja as the House of Representatives, TSO Foundation, and National Secretariat for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill Campaign Coalition unite behind a proposal that would dramatically boost women’s representation in Nigeria’s political space.

The initiative seeks to create 74 additional seats in the National Assembly and 108 in state assemblies, all specifically reserved for women. If successful, Nigeria’s National Assembly would expand to 543 members,  with 397 in the House of Representatives and 146 in the Senate — marking one of the most significant constitutional shifts in recent years.

The momentum intensified during a workshop held on Friday in Abuja for members of the House of Representatives Press Corps.

The session, aimed at strengthening media coverage of the bill, was led by House Spokesperson Rep. Akin Rotimi and Chief Osasu Igbinedion Ogwuche, founder of the TSO Foundation and convener of the national coalition driving the campaign.

Rep. Rotimi, who is also a co-sponsor of the bill, emphasised that this legislative push is long overdue, highlighted that women continue to face deep systemic barriers that limit their involvement in decision-making, and that Nigeria must take deliberate steps to correct the imbalance.

At the heart of the proposal are clear structural changes:
• Thirty-seven new seats in the Senate — one for each state and the FCT
• Thirty-seven new seats in the House of Representatives — again, one per state and the FCT
• One reserved seat per senatorial district in all state assemblies, totalling 108 new positions
Supporters say the bill is designed to give women a stronger voice in governance, encourage wider participation, and ensure that policies reflect the experiences and needs of half the country’s population.

The coalition also believes that meaningful representation cannot be achieved without intentional reforms.

As discussions broaden and public engagement grows, the campaign is positioning the bill as a landmark opportunity to transform Nigeria’s political landscape and advance gender equality across all levels of government.

In her welcome address, the Chief Executive of the TOS Foundation and convener of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill Campaign Coalition, Chief Osasu Igbinedion Ogwuche, emphasised that the call for reserved seats goes beyond gender and speaks directly to Nigeria’s progress as a nation.

She argued that it is unacceptable for a country regarded as the giant of Africa to trail behind smaller nations in parliamentary representation for women.

“We can’t call ourselves the Giants of Africa and be performing so poorly when it comes to women in government.

“I was speaking with the Speaker of the South Sudan House of Representatives the other day. This is a country that was torn into pieces by war. And you have women leading where it matters. These women rebuilt their countries”, she said.

She expressed worries that though women make up about 49 per cent of the population and 47 per cent of registered voters, they still occupy less than five per cent of elective offices across the country.

She appealled to the media to amplify the advocacy, and noted that the TOS Foundation recognises the power of the media to shape public opinion and influence policy. This, she explained, was the key motivation for sponsoring the training session.

Chief Igbinedion Ogwuche added that as the National Assembly prepares to vote on the constitution amendment report on 16 December, lawmakers have an opportunity to place Nigeria more prominently on the global stage by giving women their rightful place through the passage of the Reserved Seats Bill.

In a presentation titled “Understanding the Reserved Seats Bill for Women”, the Special Adviser (Legislative) to the Deputy Speaker, Dr Chidozie Aja, highlighted that even with the proposed 74 additional seats in the Senate and House of Representatives, raising the National Assembly’s total to 543, Nigeria will still achieve only 13.6 per cent women’s representation.

He stated, “In the House of Representatives today, only 17 of 360 seats are occupied by women and in the Senate, just 3 of 109 seats. This places Nigeria among the lowest globally in terms of female legislative representation (4.7%, ranking 184th globally), behind countries with smaller economies, fewer resources, and younger democracies.”

Dr Aja emphasised that the Reserved Seats for Women Bill is far from an act of tokenism, explaining that “it is a structural correction and a democratic innovation designed to level the playing field”.

He further noted that the reserved seats “will not replace existing seats but will expand representation to create room for women at the table of decision-making. It is important, also to note that political parties will field only female candidates for these seats.”

He added that the measure is meant to last for 4 election cycle of 16 years in all. It is a temporary special measure (TSM).

According to him, the bill proposes amendments to Sections 48, 49, 71, 77, 91 and 117 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with a more recent recommendation for the alteration of Section 42.

The Executive Director of GSAI, Dr Adaora Sidney-Jack, in her paper titled “Media Framing and Narrative Building”, observed that certain headlines are crafted in ways that sideline women and weaken their visibility in public discourse.

She urged the media to avoid the familiar stereotypes frequently used to describe women and instead strive for balance rooted in accuracy.

She also encouraged journalists to rely on facts, proper research, and reporting that is free from bias or unnecessary emotion.

Dr Sidney-Jack stressed that the bill should not be treated as something dramatic or sensational.

“This is a policy document and policy is about humanity. And as our job as media people, that’s how we need to do that narrative,” she said.