Nigeria is at an inflection point. For decades, our politics has been dominated almost entirely by men, and the results are visible in policy choices that routinely overlook the lived realities of half the population. HB 1349 titled “An Act To Alter The Provisions Of The Constitution Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria 1999 To Provide For Seat Reservation For Women In The National And State Houses Of Assembly And For Related Matters” is currently before the House of Representatives and offers a practical evidence informed approach to break that cycle. Passing it is not charity. It is simply good public policy.
The scale of the problem is captured in one stark statistic. Women make up roughly half of Nigeria’s population yet occupy only a fraction of seats in the national legislature. Today Nigeria’s House of Representatives has only 17 women out of 360 members while the Senate has just 4 women out of 109. That is about 4.5 percent representation. This is not a harmless discrepancy. It is structural exclusion embedded in the political system.
HB 1349 sponsored by Honourable Benjamin Kalu introduces a clear time bound mechanism designed to correct the gender imbalance. The bill proposes 37 additional Senate seats one for each state and the FCT and another 37 seats in the House of Representatives reserved for women. At the state level it adds three women only seats in each State Assembly ensuring female representation across all levels of lawmaking. Very importantly this measure is temporary. It has a 16 year lifespan covering four general elections after which there will be a mandatory constitutional review to evaluate its impact and decide the next steps. This is not a permanent quota. It is a corrective tool aimed at breaking systemic exclusion and building a pipeline of experienced female legislators nationwide.
Representation matters for more than symbolic reasons. A large body of academic research shows that the presence of more women in legislatures especially in developing countries leads to increased investment in education health and other social services. Women lawmakers also tend to prioritise policies that improve child welfare reduce poverty and sometimes even curb corruption. These are the types of choices that build human capital raise productivity and ultimately strengthen long term economic growth. When women have a seat at the table the decisions shift toward public goods that benefit families and communities.
We can see this pattern in other countries. Rwanda often cited as a world leader on female representation has one of the highest proportions of women in parliament. This shift has been linked to stronger social policies and inclusive governance. Senegal and several Latin American countries that adopted quotas now enjoy far higher female representation than Nigeria and demonstrate improvements across various social indicators. These outcomes are not ceremonial. They translate into real policy benefits for citizens.
Nigeria’s own indicators highlight the cost of exclusion. Persistent maternal and child health challenges regional education gaps and weak social protection systems are areas where stronger female representation could shift priorities and outcomes. Evidence from other countries shows that when women champion maternal health facilities school feeding programmes gender responsive budgeting and reproductive health access the social returns are often substantial.
Critics frequently claim that reserved seats undermine democracy or encourage tokenism. These arguments ignore the deeply entrenched structural barriers that Nigerian women face. Party gatekeeping mechanisms access to campaign financing cultural discrimination and in some cases targeted intimidation make it harder for women to contest and win elections. There is no level playing field. Calls for merit assume that everyone starts on equal footing which is simply not the reality.
Temporary corrective mechanisms are used in democracies around the world precisely for this reason. When properly designed time limited and accompanied by support structures these measures expand the space for genuine competition rather than restrict it.
Passing HB 1349 would deliver three major outcomes simultaneously. First it would reduce Nigeria’s glaring democratic deficit by bringing representation closer to population realities. Second it would accelerate the introduction and passage of laws that address social needs more effectively. Third it would build a new generation of female political leaders creating networks and role models that make politics more accessible to women in future cycles. This is a threefold political and economic gain that the country cannot afford to ignore.
Last week, the Special Committee of the House submitted its report on HB 1349 marking a critical step toward correcting decades of imbalance. With the bill heading for its Third Reading Nigeria stands before a rare opportunity to create 182 new legislative seats for women across the National and State Assemblies. This aligns with global best practice and responds to the democratic deficit revealed in every election cycle.
To members of the House of Representatives this is the moment to be on the right side of history. To the press and civil society keep the pressure on and break the bill down clearly for the public. To Nigerians concerned about fairness remember that fairness sometimes requires temporary measures to correct longstanding inequities.
Nigeria celebrates the talent resilience and potential of its women. It is time for our institutions to reflect this reality. Passing HB 1349 is not merely about increasing the number of women in politics. It is about laying the foundation for a smarter fairer and more prosperous nation. Enacting this bill would allow the long overdue work of equitable representation to finally move forward.
• Opemipo Adebanjo and Habib Sheidu, public commentators, wrote from Advokc Foundation, an NGO in Lagos
