Scores of women on Monday staged a peaceful rally at the entrance of the national assembly.
They urged lawmakers to pass the Women Reserved Seats Bill ahead of the 2027 general election.
The proposed legislation is among 44 priority constitutional amendment bills awaiting final voting and approval by state Houses of Assembly.
If passed, the bill will amend the 1999 Constitution to create special constituencies reserved exclusively for women in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly.
Ene Obi, former convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, commended lawmakers for progress made so far but urged them to conclude the process without delay.
According to Obi, “A vote for a woman is a vote for life. Women are the hope of life,we are not protesting today, we are holding a rally. We believe in non-violence.”
She added, “We have not besieged the gates of the National Assembly. We are not going to the Assembly unless they invite us. We are calling on the members of the National Assembly to come here and address us.”
Obi noted that early passage would give political parties and prospective female candidates enough time to prepare for 2027.
Rahila Dauda, representing the International Federation of Women Lawyers, described the current level of female representation as unacceptable.
According to Dauda, “It is a shame that in a country like Nigeria, where more than half of the population are women, unfortunately only about 5 or 4 are in the National Assembly.”
She urged lawmakers to “make history” by passing the bill, adding, “Nigerian women want this bill now.”
Another advocate called for the framework to align with the Disability Act by reserving seats for women and girls with disabilities.
According to her, “We are here to ask for our rights — rights for inclusion, rights for representation, rights for participation in governance,” demanding “five per cent reservation of special seats for women with disabilities and girls.
Nigeria has one of the lowest rates of female parliamentary representation in Africa.
Previous gender-related constitutional amendments were rejected in 2022, triggering nationwide protests.
