The National Assembly has proposed creating 74 additional seats exclusively for women in the Senate and House of Representatives.
The move aims to increase the very low number of women in Nigeria’s law-making bodies.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele announced the proposal on Monday, November 2, during the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) 2026 Law Week in Ekiti State. Bamidele is also the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution. 
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How Many Seats Do Women Hold in the National Assembly?
Nigeria ranks among the lowest countries in the world for female representation in parliament. According to data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Nigeria ranks 177th out of 182 countries for female parliamentary representation.
Nigeria’s National Assembly currently has 109 seats in the Senate(3 senators from each of the 36 states and 1 from the Federal Capital Territory). There are also 360 seats in the House of Representatives.
However, women’s representation remains extremely low. In the current 10th National Assembly, only four women are in the Senate. Following the passing of Hon. Adewunmi Onanuga, there are only 15 women in the House of Representatives.
This means women occupy roughly 4.2 per cent of seats in the National Assembly, even though they make up nearly half of Nigeria’s population.
What the New Proposal Seeks to Do
The plan will create special seats reserved only for women. These new seats will be added on top of the existing ones. No current elected lawmaker will lose their seat.
There will be 37 new seats in the Senate and 37 new seats in the House of Representatives (one for every state and the FCT)
If approved, the Senate will grow from 109 to 146 seats, and the House of Representatives will grow from 360 to 397 seats. The total number of lawmakers in the National Assembly will rise to 543.
The proposal also covers state Houses of Assembly. Each of the 36 states will get three additional seats reserved for women. This will create 108 new seats across all state assemblies.
How Long Will the National Assembly Special Seats Last?
The special seats are designed to last for 16 years (four election cycles). After that period, the arrangement will be reviewed to see if it has helped increase women’s participation in politics.
Bamidele explained that the idea came after wide consultations. He described it as a necessary step to make Nigeria’s democracy more inclusive. In his words:
“A democracy that systematically excludes over half of its population from the decision-making tables that determine their futures is, at best, a flawed democracy.”
The proposal has received support from stakeholders, including First Lady Oluremi Tinubu. For the plan to become law, it must pass through the National Assembly and also get approval from at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly.
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