The Proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill for Seat Reservation for Women in the National and State Assemblies, as presented by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review, July 2025, has somewhat been at the heart of women in leadership conversations. However, how many young people, especially young women, have the clarity and context required to clearly understand the bill and most importantly, the benefits of the bill for the future of leadership opportunities of the young women?
This is a simplified understanding.
Legal Framing Review
Constitutional Legitimacy
* The bill follows the legal procedure for constitutional alteration as provided under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
* The alteration of Sections 48, 49, 71, 77, 91, 117 is appropriate, as these sections govern:
* Membership of the Senate and House of Representatives
* Constituency delineation
* Elections into legislative houses
* There is no conflict with existing human rights or federal character provisions under the Constitution.
Legal Soundness
* The bill explicitly defines the reservation as temporary, which protects it from being classified as discriminatory under Section 42 (Right to freedom from discrimination).
* It provides for periodic review a legal safeguard to ensure the measure is aligned with evolving democratic and gender equity realities.
* The proposed changes maintain constitutional coherence and are self-executing, pending proper delineation by INEC.
Legislative Risks & Challenges
* Ambiguity on implementation details: The bill will need an accompanying act or regulatory guidelines for INEC on how constituencies will be carved and elections conducted.
* Potential legal challenge: Opponents may contest the bill at the Supreme Court on grounds of “special treatment,” though this is weak due to its temporary, corrective nature and global precedent.
* Two-thirds requirement: The bill must pass both chambers with two-thirds and receive approval from at least 24 State Houses of Assembly. Politically, this may be difficult without broad advocacy support.
Advocating for the Bill
- What is the Rationale and Justification for this Bill?
* Women make up over 49% of Nigeria’s population, yet occupy less than 6% of elective offices a deep democratic imbalance.
* The bill offers a temporary corrective mechanism (affirmative action) to help bridge this gap.
* It aligns with Nigeria’s commitments under:
* CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women)
* Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
* African Union Gender Policy
* SDG Goal 5 – Gender Equality
- The Bill’s messaging advocates for a key to unlocking the potential of half the population in governance and law-making.
*A redress of historic exclusion. – Not favouritism
*A time-bound intervention – Not permanent
*A win for democracy and inclusive governance – Not a cost to men
What are we doing to raise understanding of this bill?
We need you!
* Building a national consensus and bipartisan coalition where we engage male and female legislators, especially from underrepresented regions to meet and discuss about the bill.
*Humanise the campaign with success stories of female legislators.
* Speak about the bill with understanding. See our FAQs post for more tools.
The Reserved Seats Bill is set to have a National Hearing in September, 2025 with a voting on the floor of the House of Representatives in October 2025.
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Compiled by HEIR Women Hub for the Reserved Seats Bill Advocacy