By Amara Agha, Abakaliki
The Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Moses Ije-Odunwa, has expressed the readiness of the state legislature to support the proposed Special Seats for Women Bill, as well as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Bill.
However, he noted that the Assembly’s full backing would depend on the inclusion of special seats in the Nigerian Constitution.
“We are disposed to any bill that advances opportunities for women, but it must be clearly entrenched in the Constitution. Constituencies should be designated for women,” he stated.
Ije-Odunwa spoke in Abakaliki during a validation meeting with members of the Assembly on the harmonization of the Special Seats Bill and the follow-up review of the DEI Bill. The session was organised by the Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL) and the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), with support from UN Women through the Government of Canada.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founding director of WACOL, Professor Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, said the passage of the Special Seats Bill was crucial to expanding women’s representation in the country’s legislative institutions. She described it as a “long-overdue reform” and stressed that Nigeria must not continue to trail behind other African countries in gender-inclusive leadership.
The bill seeks to amend Sections 48, 77 and 91 of the 1999 Constitution to create special constituencies reserved for women in the Senate, House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly. Lawmakers at the national level are expected to vote on the proposal.
Despite constitutional guarantees against discrimination, women remain grossly underrepresented in elective positions, Ezeilo observed, citing Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, Ethiopia and Senegal as African examples where affirmative action has enhanced women’s political inclusion.
“Women make up half of Nigeria’s population. We cannot leave half of our citizens behind and still expect development,” she said. She added that Ebonyi lawmakers had demonstrated encouraging commitment to the process.
Ezeilo also pointed to progress on the DEI Bill, which aims to domesticate key international treaties on women’s rights, including the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the African Union Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa. The bill has passed several stages and is awaiting final approval.
She said the renewed push coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, which emphasised women’s political participation, human rights and the protection of the girl-child. It also aligns with global activities marking the 16 Days of Activism.
She commended UN Women for its support, and acknowledged traditional rulers and other stakeholders for sustaining the advocacy.
Representing the Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, Dr. Emily Okhide, Head of the Gender and Inclusivity Unit, said the bill is often misunderstood, explaining that it simply seeks to ensure representation, fairness and equal opportunities for women and other marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities.
The meeting featured a presentation from Mr. Samuel Oguche on the DEI Bill and an exclusive session by Assembly members on the harmonized Special Seats Bill.
