As the Nigerian National Assembly prepares to vote on the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, the convener of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill Campaign Coalition, Osasu Igbinedion-Ogwuche, has described the coming vote as more than a legislative procedure but a defining vote for the nation’s democracy.
“This is not just another item on the legislative calendar. This is a vote about the very soul of our democracy. A vote about whether Nigeria will finally match rhetoric with reality,” she said.
Correcting Structural Bias
Addressing concerns about tokenism, Igbinedion-Ogwuche clarified that the initiative is not a handout but a corrective step.
“The Reserved Seats for Women Bill is not charity; it is a corrective measure. Its purpose is simple: to remove entrenched structural bias so that merit can finally shine through,” she explained.
She noted that Nigerian women have historically been excluded from politics not because of incompetence, but because of systemic obstacles such as prohibitively expensive campaign financing, cultural stigma, and gender-based violence.
For this reason, she stressed that the Bill is designed as a “temporary special measure” to run for four election cycles, long enough to correct the imbalance and create an enabling environment for women’s political participation.
Lessons from Africa
The Coalition Convener also pointed to global and continental precedents, citing countries that have reaped benefits from similar measures.
“Several African nations like Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Namibia, and Mozambique have already achieved significant gains through quota systems, surpassing the ‘30% representation threshold’ set by the Beijing Declaration,”
In Rwanda, women hold 61.3% of seats in the lower house, the highest in the world. Senegal has 46%, South Africa 46.2%, Namibia 44.2%, Mozambique 43.2%, and Cape Verde 41.7%. Other African countries, including Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Burundi, have all crossed the 30% threshold.
“These countries are not weaker for including women; they are stronger, more prosperous, and more stable. Nigeria must not remain an outlier,” she cautioned.
A Question of Legacy
With the vote imminent, Igbinedion-Ogwuche urged lawmakers to consider their stance at this “historic threshold” and their legacy in making this historic decision.
“Future generations will not ask how many bills you passed. They will ask whether, when the moment came, you opened the door of democracy wider or left it closed,” she emphasised.
She also called on citizens to sustain pressure through advocacy and public engagement, stressing that silence undermines reform.
“History teaches us that no great reform was ever won by silence. Progress comes when citizens, with moral clarity, make it impossible for leaders to look away,” she declared.
National, Not Gendered, Priority
The campaign Convener reaffirmed that the Bill should not be framed as a women’s issue, but as a national imperative.
“This is not about women versus men. This is about Nigeria versus stagnation. It is about ensuring that the best minds, regardless of gender, are brought forward to solve the pressing challenges of our time,” she stressed.
She concluded by calling the moment a test of Nigeria’s collective will.
“The world is watching. Our daughters are watching. Our history books are waiting to record whether we rose to the moment or shrank from it. The time for hesitation is over. The time for excuses is over. The time for Nigeria to rise with her is now,” she affirmed.
The Imperative of Reserved Seats
At present, women occupy just 4% of seats in Nigeria’s National Assembly, one of the lowest rates in Africa.
The Reserved Seats for Women Bill seeks to amend Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution to guarantee women 182 additional seats: 37 in the Senate and 74 in the House of Representatives for four electoral cycles.
Advocates agree that the passage of the Bill would not only correct this imbalance but also restore equity in Nigeria’s political space, ensuring that women’s voices influence governance, legislation, and national priorities.
By widening the base of representation, the Bill is expected to trigger multiplier effects across critical sectors from education and health to economic reforms and peacebuilding.
Ultimately, stakeholders agree it will strengthen democracy, balance the power equation, and drive more inclusive national development.