The National Assembly has proposed 74 additional seats for women in the Senate and House of Representatives, plus three reserved seats for women in each state House of Assembly.
CDA News Nigeria reports that Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele disclosed this on Monday at the 2026 Law Week of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ekiti State chapter.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the plan would add 37 seats to the Senate and 37 to the House of Representatives. Each state and the FCT would get one extra seat in each chamber, without displacing existing elected members.
Bamidele, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said the proposal is part of the ongoing amendment process. He said the state Assembly seats would run for 16 years, covering four electoral cycles, before a comprehensive review.
“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,” he said.
He described the initiative as non-partisan. He said the state Houses of Assembly are being engaged because their concurrence is constitutionally required.
Bamidele also called for stronger laws and collaboration to protect women and children. He asked FIDA to help identify gaps in existing legislation.
The Vice-Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, warned of technology-driven threats such as cyberstalking, deepfakes and online exploitation. FIDA Ekiti Chairperson Ayobami Olowoyo-Richards urged continued strengthening of laws and institutions.
Editorial note: Attributed reporting based on remarks at a public event. The proposal is not yet law and still requires approval through the constitutional amendment process. Report errors or request corrections at info@cdanews.ng.
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