Special Seats Bill: NILDS DG Calls for Greater Women’s Inclusion in Governance

The Director General of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar O. Sulaiman, has called for greater women’s participation in governance and the passage of gender-responsive legislation to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in Nigeria’s political institutions.

Professor Sulaiman made the call on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, at the NILOWV @30 All Women’s Conference, held at the Institute’s headquarters in Abuja to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the League of Women Voters of Nigeria (NILOWV).

The Director-General identified financial constraints, patriarchal attitudes, exclusion within political party structures and the rejection of gender-equity bills as major barriers to women’s political participation. He highlighted NILDS’ commitment to gender inclusion and disclosed that the Institute had established a Women in Governance Forum to strengthen women’s leadership and advocacy for gender-responsive legislation.

The founder of NILOWV, Rt. Hon. Dame (Dr.) Esther Uduehi, urged Nigerian women to sustain the struggle for political and economic empowerment, build on the achievements of previous generations and strengthen their participation in leadership and decision-making.

The President of NILOWV, Hon. Irene Mngunengen Awunah-Ikyegh, emphasised the need to accelerate advocacy for the proposed Special Seats Bill, which seeks to create additional legislative seats for women. Citing figures from the 10th National Assembly, she noted that only four of the 109 senators and 16 of the 360 members of the House of Representatives were women.

She called for stronger engagement with the National Assembly and state legislatures, implementation of the 35% benchmark for women’s representation in appointive positions, and increased investment in women’s political leadership and economic empowerment.

Also speaking, the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, highlighted the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention 774, which aims to expand social support and economically empower more than 10 million women over five years.

The Minister urged women to unite, mobilise their voting strength and take ownership of development initiatives, stressing that women must organise strategically and actively pursue leadership opportunities. She also called for stronger partnerships between government and women’s organisations to advance women’s economic and political empowerment.

The conference, themed “30 Years Strong: Empowering Women’s Voices, Leadership and Democratic Participation Celebrating the Past, Shaping the Future,” brought together women leaders, government officials and civil society organisations to discuss strategies for strengthening women’s representation and participation in Nigeria’s democratic process.