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Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has said women’s underrepresentation in Nigerian politics will soon end, citing renewed collective action and legislative reforms to promote leadership parity nationwide.
Abbas, represented by Kafilat Ogbara, member of the House of Representatives for Kosofe Federal Constituency, made the remark at the ninth Voice of Women Conference and Awards (VOW2025).
The speaker said lawmakers were engaging colleagues one-on-one, both in Abuja and in their constituencies, urging them to grasp that “the time is now,” because no better moment existed to act.
He added that the proposed bill would add 37 seats for women in the National Assembly, including three per senatorial district, as a corrective measure against structural imbalance.
The speaker noted ongoing grassroots mobilisation involving party heads, traditional rulers, and community leaders, all aimed at reversing decades of gender exclusion in governance.
He hailed President Tinubu’s gender-sensitive approach, highlighting his consistent support for his wife’s political role and his Renewed Hope Agenda’s promise that no woman would be left behind.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said women’s voices remain the heartbeat of the nation, resilient, undaunted, and central to national progress.
He stated that his administration remained committed to empowering women as family protectors, innovation drivers, and key players in the one trillion-dollar economy the country was working to build under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim, speaking in her capacity as Minister of Women Affairs, emphasised the importance of collective action in driving progress toward increased political representation for Nigerian women.
She noted that true gender equality could not be achieved in isolation and highlighted the current underrepresentation of women, who held less than six per cent of National Assembly seats, far below global benchmarks.
According to her, the African Union targets 50 per cent gender parity, while the global average stands at 26.5 percent, a gap Nigeria must close through legislative reform.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim said the Reserved Seats Bill was not an act of charity, but one of justice and strategic necessity to ensure a more inclusive democracy and unlock women’s full potential in governance.
She explained that the bill, if passed, would align Nigeria with international best practices and significantly strengthen national development by empowering half of the population currently underrepresented.
The minister commended the 10th National Assembly for backing the bill, stating their support reflected political courage and a willingness to correct historical imbalances in Nigeria’s democratic framework.
She said their backing sent a strong message to Nigerian women that their voices mattered and to the global community that Nigeria was committed to inclusive governance and democratic progress.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim added that passing the bill would mark Nigeria as a continental leader in women’s political inclusion, stating that “democracy without women is incomplete.”
