The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has said the 10th National Assembly is committed to breaking the barriers limiting women’s participation in governance through a proposed constitutional amendment seeking special seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly.
Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, said the proposed legislation was designed to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in Nigeria’s political institutions and ensure their adequate participation in decisions affecting the country.
The Senate Leader spoke on Monday as a guest speaker at the 2026 Law Week of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ekiti State Chapter, held in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, with the theme, “Justice in a Changing World: Responding to New Challenges Affecting Women and Children”.
The event was attended by dignitaries, including the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, who was accompanied by other judges, as well as politicians, lawyers and traditional rulers, among others.
He said the proposed constitutional alteration would create 37 additional seats in the Senate and 37 in the House of Representatives, with one seat reserved for women in each state and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside three additional seats in each State House of Assembly.
According to him, the arrangement, which would not displace existing legislative seats, is proposed to run for 16 years, covering four electoral cycles, after which its impact would be reviewed.
Describing the initiative as a historic intervention rather than a partisan project, Bamidele said a democracy that excluded a significant proportion of its population from decision-making could not claim to be fully representative.
“A democracy that systematically excludes over half of its population from the decision-making tables that determine their future is, at best, a flawed democracy and, at worst, a veiled oligarchy,” he said.
He disclosed that the National Assembly had commenced engagements with State Houses of Assembly to secure the constitutionally required concurrence for the proposed amendment, adding that the process was being pursued through extensive consultations and consensus-building.
Bamidele, who commended the advocacy of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, said the 10th Assembly was determined to correct historical gaps in women’s political representation, stressing that the proposed reform demonstrated the legislature’s commitment to inclusive governance.
He said the challenges confronting women and children had become more complex in the face of globalisation, artificial intelligence, digitalisation, insecurity, economic instability and climate change, which had created new opportunities while exposing vulnerable groups to emerging forms of abuse and exploitation.
According to him, women continued to face gender-based violence, economic exclusion, discrimination and inadequate healthcare, while children remained vulnerable to sexual abuse, trafficking, child labour, early marriage, malnutrition, educational deprivation and digital exploitation.
The lawmaker noted that poverty, unemployment, inadequate social protection, educational inequalities, social stigma and weak enforcement of existing laws had further compounded the situation.
He maintained that protecting women and children was not merely a humanitarian responsibility but a constitutional obligation and a critical investment in national development, economic productivity and social stability.
Bamidele also highlighted some legislative interventions of the 10th Assembly, including the four Tax Reform Acts of 2025, which he said exempted sanitary products, baby diapers and other essential products for women and children from Value Added Tax.
He described the measure as a social justice intervention aimed at reducing the financial burden on low-income women and families, particularly those struggling with the rising cost of essential household items.
He further disclosed that the National Assembly was considering the National Hospital for Women and Children, Abuja (Amendment) Bill, 2026, aimed at strengthening the institution’s capacity to provide specialised healthcare services to women and children.
Bamidele, however, stressed that the effectiveness of legislation depended largely on its implementation, noting that justice must go beyond constitutional provisions and statutory declarations to become accessible, affordable, timely and effective for victims of abuse.
He called for stronger collaboration among the legislature, executive, judiciary, law enforcement agencies, social welfare institutions, religious organisations, traditional rulers, civil society groups and the private sector to strengthen the protection of women and children.
The Senate Leader urged FIDA to deepen its engagement with the National Assembly and other relevant institutions, particularly in identifying gaps in existing laws, proposing reforms and ensuring that government policies and budgetary provisions translated into tangible benefits for vulnerable Nigerians.
He also challenged the organisation to hold the legislature accountable for the implementation of its commitments, especially the proposed special seats for women and adequate funding for child protection, women’s healthcare and gender empowerment programmes.
“The law is only as good as its implementation. Hold us accountable. Demand that the Special Seats Bill becomes law. Demand that appropriations for child protection and women’s health are not just passed, but released and utilised,” he said.
Bamidele said the ultimate objective should be to build a Nigeria where women could live free from violence and discrimination, children could grow in safety and dignity, and no victim would be denied justice because of poverty, social status, disability or geographical location.
He urged participants at the Law Week to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen legal protection and improve access to justice for women and children in Ekiti State and across the country.
In her keynote address, the Vice-Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Professor Smaranda Olarinde, called for stronger legal and institutional frameworks to protect women and children against emerging forms of abuse, particularly those enabled by technology and economic vulnerabilities.
Olarinde said the growing use of artificial intelligence and digital platforms had created new dimensions of threats, including cyberstalking, online harassment, deepfake images, impersonation and the exploitation of children.
Speaking on the theme, she also called for stronger collaboration among the government, judiciary, law enforcement agencies, universities, religious and traditional leaders, the media and civil society organisations to tackle gender-based violence and child abuse.
Olarinde urged FIDA to move beyond advocacy to measurable outcomes, proposing a collaborative Women and Children Access to Justice Action Framework to improve legal protection, digital safety and support for survivors.
On his part, the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Ogunmoye, lauded FIDA for choosing the Senate Leader to deliver the lecture, describing him as the right person to speak on emerging issues and initiate legislative and policy reforms for the protection of women and children.
In her welcome address, the Chairperson of FIDA Ekiti State Chapter, Ayobami Olowoyo-Richards, commended Senator Bamidele for his lecture and thanked the other guests, saying FIDA would remain committed to promoting, protecting and preserving the rights of women and children.
“The changing realities of our world continue to present new and complex concerns for the safety, dignity, and fundamental rights of women and children, demanding fresh perspectives and more effective responses from all stakeholders. We must continually strengthen our laws, institutions, and collective response to ensure that justice remains accessible, effective, and responsive to their needs,” she said.
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