By Stanley Onyekwere
In a decisive push for political inclusivity, women leaders and stakeholders have called upon the National Assembly to fast-track the passage of the Special Seats for Women Bill.
Describing the legislation as a “historic opportunity,” advocates argue it is the only way to dismantle decades of systemic underrepresentation within Nigeria’s legislative chambers.
The appeal was the focal point of the FCT Women O’Clock Post-CSW70 Leadership Meeting held yesterday in Abuja.
the event was organized by the Mandate Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) with support from the United Nations, the event focused on the theme: “Women Leaders Champion Post-CSW70 Agenda.”
Representative of the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Princess Jumai Idonije characterized the bill as a turning point for the nation.
She emphasized that the current gender gap is not a reflection of women’s abilities but a product of deep-rooted hurdles.
According to her, ”The persistent gender gap is not due to a lack of competence among women, but rather the result of longstanding structural and systemic barriers.
“The Special Seats Bill offers a constitutional, time-bound mechanism to correct this imbalance.”
The Minister further highlighted that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, 2026 has been designated the Year of Family and Social Development. This shift is reflected in the expansion of Nigeria’s social protection framework, which has grown from fewer than one million households in 2013 to nearly 10 million in 2026, with women making up approximately 70% of the beneficiaries.
Also, the Ministry outlined several key initiatives aimed at bridging the digital and economic divide:
“RHSII774: Focuses on livelihood support, clean energy, and financial inclusion across all 774 Local Government Areas.
“Women Digital Harmony: Aims to connect over 20 million women via the Live the Happy Women App for mentorship and economic networking.
“Legal Implementation: A call to move beyond merely adopting policies to the full gazetting and funding of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act and the Child Rights Act.”
Beatrice Eyong, the UN-Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, reinforced the international consensus from the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) held in New York last month.
She stated that access to justice and the elimination of discriminatory laws are “non-negotiable” for sustainable development.
On her part, FCTA Mandate Secretary Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi highlighted the power of grassroots mobilization.
She noted that the involvement of the wives of traditional rulers and local leaders has been instrumental in the FCT’s fight against harmful traditional practices.
Adding her voice to the assembly, Binta Lami Adamu Bello, Director-General of NAPTIP, urged women to transition from dialogue to demand.
“Advocacy must go beyond conversation to tangible results,” she stated, noting that NAPTIP continues to record significant progress in victim support through active institutional engagement.
The meeting concluded with a unified stance: for Nigeria to deepen its democracy, gender equality can no longer be a secondary goal—it must be a legislative priority.
