EU backs reserved seats for women bill, urges swift passage

EU backs Reserved Seats for Women Bill, urging Nigerian lawmakers to fast-track passage of legislation to boost female representation in parliament

EU backs Reserved Seats for Women Bill, joining women’s rights advocates and political stakeholders in pushing for its speedy approval to address Nigeria’s low female representation in parliament.

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The bill, now slated for a third reading in October, proposes 37 additional seats in the Senate, 37 in the House of Representatives, and three reserved seats per state assembly across all 36 states strictly for women.

If passed, it will move to state assemblies before presidential assent.

At present, women hold only 3.7 per cent of Senate seats and 3.9 per cent in the House of Representatives, among the lowest in Africa.

Speaking at the 2025 GOTNI National Leadership Conference in Abuja, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, said empowering women was vital to national progress.

“One of the secrets for a nation that will be more successful in their development is to empower women and girls,” Mignot said.

“The most prosperous countries in the world are those where inequalities between women and men are the least, and which grant women a full space to participate in collective decisions and in socio-economic life.”

He described the Reserved Seats for Women Bill as “very important” and urged lawmakers to prioritize it, stressing that it would help create exclusive elective spaces for women in governance and ensure political balance.

Also addressing reporters, GOTNI Leadership Centre President, Linus Okorie, emphasized that Nigeria’s broader leadership challenges could only be solved through capacity building and visionary leadership.

“Our problem is going to be fixed by Nigerians,” Okorie said. “To do that, you need selfless leaders in the private and public sector who are creative, visionary and committed to making a difference.”

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The push for reserved seats reflects mounting calls for gender-inclusive governance in Nigeria, where cultural, political, and structural barriers have long hindered women’s participation in politics.

Quadri Olaitan