The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has renewed calls for urgent constitutional reforms to guarantee reserved seats for women in Nigeria’s national and state legislatures, declaring that women’s inclusion is not charity but justice.
Speaking at the “She the People Dialogue” on the Reserved Seats Bill in Abuja, organised by the Emerge Women Initiative, the Minister, represented by the All Progressives Congress National Deputy Women Leader, Hajiya Zainab Ibrahim applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife Senator Oluremi Tinubu for championing inclusivity under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“His administration has placed women, children, families, and vulnerable groups at the very heart of national development. Together, their leadership continues to affirm that no one will be left behind,” she said.
Highlighting the low representation of women in politics, the Minister revealed that only 21 of the 469 lawmakers in the 10th National Assembly are women, representing barely 4.2% while in the 36 state assemblies, just 45 out of 991 seats representing 4.5% are held by women.
“These numbers are not mere statistics; they are the measure of a democracy still struggling to reflect the faces and voices of nearly half its population,” she stated.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim underscored that the Reserved Seats Bill has become a national imperative.
“This proposal is not just an aspiration; it has become a demand rooted in equity and justice. The overwhelming support it has attracted across the country is a testament to the readiness of Nigerians to embrace inclusive governance,” she said.
The Minister also commended the leadership of the National Assembly for prioritising the bill, noting the support of the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas; and the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu.
She also singled out Hon. Joshua Gana, sponsor of the bill, as “a true champion of renewed hope for Nigerian women.”
Acknowledging broad support from state governors, their spouses, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society, and the media, the Minister described the movement as unstoppable
. “Their collective voices have made this movement unstoppable,” she affirmed.
She highlighted the transformative potential of the bill: “At home, it will deepen our democracy, enrich governance with inclusivity, and ensure that decision-making reflects the full diversity of our nation.
“On the international stage, Nigeria will finally take its rightful place among progressive nations that have institutionalised political representation.”
The Minister also linked the bill to her Ministry’s grassroots empowerment programmes under the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention Programmes, such as solar lighting for homes, palliatives, clean cooking initiatives, pad banks for girls, and the Women Agro Value Chain Expansion project.
“These programmes are not slogans; they are tangible actions that light homes, restore dignity, and secure the future of our children,” she said.
With the public hearing on the Reserved Seats Bill slated for September 22, 2025 , Sulaiman-Ibrahim issued a rallying call for solidarity: “The outcome depends on our unity, our unwavering voice, and our refusal to be silent. The story of Nigeria’s future cannot be written with half its people left behind.”
The Minister also charged participants with a message of resilience and hope:
“Let us seize this moment with thunder in our voices, purpose in our steps, and unity in our hearts. And when history asks what we did in this defining hour, let it be said that we stood together; unbowed, unafraid, and unstoppable.”
Hauwa Abu