Nigeria’s ongoing debate on women’s political inclusion will take centre stage today, Thursday, in Abuja, with policymakers, civil society leaders, and grassroots women converging for “She The People”, a high-level dialogue convened by the Emerge Women Development Initiative.
Themed “Deepening the Conversation, Accelerating Women’s Representation in Governance”, the dialogue will spotlight gender-focused legislative reforms before the National Assembly and explore strategies to build momentum to push for the passage of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill (HB 1349 & SB 440).
Founder of the initiative, Mary Ikoku, said the dialogue, strategically scheduled ahead of the public hearing on the Reserved Seats Bill slated for September 22, 2025, at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, offers an urgent corrective measure to decades of exclusion.
“Reserved seats are not a favour; they are a structural correction for decades of exclusion. We must build the momentum to make this reform a reality,” Ikoku stressed.
The dialogue, organised in partnership with the Entrepreneurship Centre for Women Development (ECWD), will feature two high-level panels: “Building a Strong Case for the Reserved Seats Bill: Strategies for Sustained Advocacy and Lobbying for Passage” and “Sustaining the Momentum: Strategies for Ensuring Passage of the Reserved Seats” and interactive discussions.
According to Ikoku, the high-level convergence also demonstrates the weight of the conversation in shaping Nigeria’s democratic future. “The credibility of any democracy rests on inclusion. This is about ensuring women have a seat at the table where decisions are made,” she added.
Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Founding Director of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), speaking in solidarity, urged for concrete institutional action.
“We’ve talked long enough; now is the time for institutional action. These bills represent a turning point for women’s rights in Nigeria,” she said.
Nigeria’s Wider Struggle for Women’s Political Representation
Currently, women hold only 17 out of 469 seats in the National Assembly, representing just 3.6%, according to data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (2024).
In Africa, Rwanda leads the world with over 60% of its parliament seats occupied by women, while South Africa and Senegal record 46% and 44%, respectively.
This under-representation underscores why stakeholders argue that reserved seats are necessary as a transitional measure to close the gender gap.
Advocates point out that without structural reforms, Nigeria risks lagging further behind global commitments such as the Beijing Platform for Action and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which call for equal participation of women in decision-making.
With the public hearing around the corner, momentum is building. But whether political will matches the urgency of the moment remains the key test.
As Dr Akiyode-Afolabi warns, “These bills represent a turning point for women’s rights in Nigeria.”
For many, the “She The People” dialogue may mark the beginning of a decisive push to ensure Nigerian women finally have not just a voice but a seat where national decisions are made.