Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has canvassed constitutional backing for reserved seats for women, lamenting that their participation in Nigerian politics does not reflect their population size and voting strength.
He noted that women constitute nearly half of Nigeria’s population and an even larger proportion of active voters, yet remain grossly under-represented in both elective and appointive offices.
The governor spoke on Thursday at the flag-off of the North-West zonal campaign for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, held as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
According to him, women currently occupy less than five per cent of legislative seats at the national level, a situation he described as unacceptable in a democratic society.
He observed that the North-West has historically recorded low female participation in elective politics due to deeply rooted social norms, economic constraints, and limited access to political networks.
“This disparity is not a reflection of capacity or competence; it is the result of structural, cultural, economic and institutional barriers that have persisted for decades.
“Yet these realities are not immutable. They evolve when institutions change, when leadership is intentional, and when women themselves step forward with confidence,” the governor added.
Sani said Kaduna State provides a compelling example of what is possible when deliberate policies are adopted to promote inclusion, noting that the state is leading Northern Nigeria in women’s political representation.
“We have a female Deputy Governor, a female Majority Leader of the Kaduna State House of Assembly—the first in the North-West—a female Head of Service, and a female elected Local Government Chairman in Jaba,” he said.
He added that women currently head key ministries such as Health, Business Innovation, Youth Development and Women Affairs, as well as strategic parastatals across the state.
According to the governor, these achievements demonstrate that women can win elections, lead effectively and command public trust when given a fair opportunity.
“These milestones did not occur by accident. They are the outcome of deliberate choices, inclusive leadership and the courage of women who stepped forward to contest and serve,” he stated.
Sani recalled that Nigeria has made several commitments to gender inclusion, including the Beijing Declaration’s 30 per cent affirmative action benchmark and the National Gender Policy’s 35 per cent target.
He explained that the Reserved Seats for Women Bill aligns with global democratic best practices and seeks to address chronic under-representation through constitutionally guaranteed legislative seats.
“The bill proposes 182 additional seats for women across the National and State Assemblies—one per state and the FCT in the Senate, one per state and the FCT in the House of Representatives, and three per state in the Houses of Assembly,” he said.
The governor stressed that the bill does not displace existing seats but expands representation, adding that it is designed as a temporary intervention spanning four election cycles.
Also speaking, the APC National Women Leader, Dr Mary Alile Idele, lamented the steady decline in women’s representation in the National Assembly from 2003 to 2023.
“By 2019 and again in 2023, women held fewer than five per cent of seats in the National Assembly—one of the lowest rates globally,” she said, describing the trend as a wake-up call.
Idele said the proposed bill would guarantee protected political space for women, inspire young girls nationwide and strengthen Nigeria’s democracy, adding that it was “not a favour to women but an investment in Nigeria’s future.”
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