Nigeria considers 74 parliamentary seats reserved for women
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on P.M. News
Nigeria’s parliament is considering creating 74 additional seats reserved for women in the two federal chambers, as well as three seats in each state assembly. The measure, planned for four electoral cycles over 16 years before an evaluation, aims to increase women’s representation, according to Senate majority leader Opeyemi Bamidele.
Nigeria’s Senate is considering a proposed constitutional amendment that would create 74 seats reserved for women in the National Assembly, Senate majority leader and vice-chair of the committee reviewing the 1999 Constitution Opeyemi Bamidele said on Monday. The measure would add 37 seats in the Senate and 37 in the House of Representatives, with one additional seat in each chamber for each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, without replacing existing legislators.
The proposal also provides for three seats reserved for women in each state legislature. The seats would be maintained for 16 years, or four electoral cycles, before an evaluation, Bamidele said, speaking at the 2026 law week of the International Federation of Women Lawyers in Ekiti State.
Lawmakers are currently discussing the proposal with state assemblies, whose approval is required for a constitutional amendment. Bamidele attributed growing support for the reform, among other things, to efforts by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.
