The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, says the 10th National Assembly is committed to advancing constitutional reforms to address women’s under-representation in Nigeria’s political institutions.
Speaking at the Nigeria Women Peace, Democracy Summit and Awards 2026 in Abuja, Tajudeen identified the proposed Reserved Seats for Women Bill as a major legislative intervention aimed at creating additional seats for women in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.
Represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, he explained that the proposal seeks to improve women’s political representation without displacing existing constituencies or taking away seats occupied by other elected representatives.
“I have personally championed this proposal because I consider the under-representation of women in our legislative institutions a democratic deficit that we must confront,” the Speaker said.
He disclosed that engagements were ongoing with the Executive, political leaders and other stakeholders to build consensus for the proposed reform, which has also received the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Speaker stressed that meaningful representation must go beyond occupying political offices to influencing policies, shaping legislation, participating in oversight and contributing to national decisions.
“Our objective must therefore be not simply to increase the number of women in political institutions but to strengthen the quality and inclusiveness of democratic governance,” he said.
On gender-based violence, Tajudeen called for stronger laws, improved access to justice, support for survivors and accountability for perpetrators.
He recalled leading members of the House of Representatives on an advocacy march in Abuja on November 25, 2024, as part of the global 16 Days of Activism campaign.
“Protecting women is not a favour to be granted; it is an obligation arising from their fundamental rights and human dignity,” he declared.
Addressing women’s contributions to peacebuilding, the Speaker noted that women played critical roles in conflict prevention, community reconciliation, humanitarian assistance and restoring social cohesion, particularly in communities affected by insecurity.
He, however, expressed concern that women were frequently excluded from formal peace negotiations despite bearing significant consequences of conflicts.
“Women must be active participants in preventing conflict, negotiating peace and shaping the institutions that sustain it,” he maintained.
Tajudeen urged stakeholders to invest in girls’ education, expand economic opportunities, strengthen women’s entrepreneurship and promote leadership development.
He also called on the National Council of Women Societies to sustain its partnership with the National Assembly to translate advocacy into tangible legislative and institutional outcomes.
The Speaker maintained that women’s empowerment was a collective investment in Nigeria’s future, stressing that equal opportunities for women would strengthen families, institutions, communities and democracy.
He commended the National Council of Women Societies for organising the summit and congratulated recipients of awards for their contributions to peace, democracy, women’s empowerment and national development.
Tajudeen urged stakeholders to ensure Nigerian women became not just catalysts for inclusive governance but active architects of the country’s future.
