News

June 19, 2025

NILOWV partners UN WOMEN, others on ‘Special Seat Bill for Women in Politics’

NILOWV partners UN WOMEN, others on ‘Special Seat Bill for Women in Politics’

By Ebunoluwa Sessou & Esther Adeleke

Ahead of the public hearing on the Special Seats Bill for Women in Parliament scheduled for July 2025, the League of Women Voters of Nigeria (NILOWV), in collaboration with UN WOMEN, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Lawyers Alert, Race Africa and Inclusive Skills Development Initiative and other women’s groups, is building a formidable coalition to address the persistent imbalance in women’s political participation.

NILOWV is a national organization of women voters in Nigeria that has existed for 28 years.

With presence across the 774 local government areas, as well as at the state and national levels, NILOWV is dedicated to advocating for women’s leadership, supporting policy reforms, and mobilizing women to register and vote. It also defends the rights of women in workplaces and across all sectors of society.

Speaking at a town hall meeting held in Lagos, at the Eko FM Multipurpose Hall, themed “Lagos State Town Hall on Reserved Seats for Women in Legislature and Constitutional Reform,” NILOWV President Irene Awunah-Ikyegh highlighted the organization’s legacy, noting that NILOWV was founded by Dame Esther Oduehi following the Beijing Conference and has remained an independent advocacy group run by women who believe in the empowerment of other women.

According to her, “Patriarchy has been a major obstacle in Nigeria. It is an institution upheld not only by men but also, unfortunately, often by women themselves. Our society frequently undermines a woman’s capacity to lead,” she said.

Awunah-Ikyegh emphasized the need to create platforms where women can be visible, heard, and supported in showcasing their leadership potential. “We rally behind every woman who expresses interest in public office. With women constituting over 48 percent of the voting population and arguably over 50% of the entire population, it is critical that legislative action backs their inclusion.”

She noted that Nigeria ranks poorly on women’s inclusion in governance across Africa. “Nigeria is not even in the top 100, and many of the countries ranked higher have not held elections in a decade or are in conflict.

“This is why when the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Benjamin Kalu reintroduced the Special Seats Bill at the 10th National Assembly a bill first presented during the 9th Assembly NILOWV decided to mobilize citizens and build broad support.

“When citizens do not display knowledge and support for any Bill, it is dead on arrival when taken back to the National Assembly.

“This Bill was presented in a different form Ms Nkeiruka Onyejeocha at the 9th Assembly as the 111 Bill, we, as women’s right organization agreed and felt we were working not knowing that we were working among ourselves without any result.
The citizens did not know anything about the Bill until it was thrown out which prompted us to confront the National Assembly.

“This time around we want to change the narrative by bringing every stakeholder and every Nigerian voter to knowledge because we end up voting people that we see in the ballot. It is not our fault; it is within the political parties that women do not get the ticket to be on the ballot and so we want to prove a point that at this time it is an opportunity for even political parties, stakeholders, leaders, legislators, who have the responsibility to vote for this Bill to know that it is an opportunity for Nigeria to change her name.

“It is an opportunity for Nigeria to disassociation herself from that very abysmal and shameful ranking; it is an opportunity to restore our democratic integrity; it is an opportunity to rewrite Nigeria’s history because we cannot be the giant of Africa in every other and not be the giant of Africa in inclusion and women’s inclusion in governance.

“We understand that, it is a global issue but Nigeria in Africa is known as a pace setter and cannot afford not to be seen in 150 of women inclusion when others are doing it globally.

“Our goal is to educate voters, because often women do not appear on the ballot due to internal party politics, not because voters reject them. We want to prove that Nigerians support women in politics and call on political parties, legislators, and national leaders to seize this opportunity to change Nigeria’s global image on inclusion.

“Our responsibility as an organization is to amplify the little wills of women, put them out there to be seen and heard. Provide the platforms for them to showcase their leadership skills and potentials. At the end, when the call to run for elective positions occurs, women must rally her up and make sure that we use the grassroots to mobilize and support.
“This is a country with sound and great minds. Women of tenacity and character. Globally, a Nigerian woman is in the second position. We have Okonjo Iwealla in the World Bank and shows that women have what it takes to lead in the parliament.
“For this town hall meeting our strong deliverables are endorsements. We want to get one million signatures endorsing this Bill. We want stakeholders including traditional rulers, and religious leaders to endorse this Bill.
“We want commitment from our legislators so as to tell them that the Bill is not just a woman’s Bill but a Bill to restore Nigeria’ democratic integrity.
As a key outcome of the town hall, NILOWV and its partners including Lawyers Alert, NAWOJ, ISDI, among others aim to secure one million signatures from Lagos residents to endorse the bill. They are also seeking commitments from traditional, religious, and political leaders to engage legislators and advocate for the bill’s passage.

“This is not just a women’s Bill. “It is a national Bill; one that seeks to restore Nigeria’s democratic integrity and fulfill her potential as a true giant of Africa in governance and inclusion,” she stated.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Adeola Ekine, Chairperson of NAWOJ, Lagos State Chapter, underscored the role of women journalists in advocating for leadership representation.

“As female Journalists, we understand the importance of women telling their own stories, stories that men cannot fully grasp. For example, only women understand the realities of menstruation and why access to education and sanitary products is vital. That is why women must be represented at every level of decision-making.

“This is because we are the one that can tell our stories the way it should be heard. We know where the show pitches and we can also express ourselves for people to understand.

“If we do not have a representative, how do we get our message across? We know the need for our girls to have access to education and good health. We know the need for our girls to have access to sanitary towels.

“This struggle by the association started 28 years ago and lots of people do not know about it. It is now, we are speaking out. We cannot continue to ask men to advocate for us while we take the back seat.

“This advocacy has to start from the local government elections coming up. We have more women contesting for Chairmanship positions and Wards Councilors. We will start from somewhere. I know, we will not get there one day. This is one of the programmes and processes to go through ahead of 2027 general elections.

“In Lagos State, we already see an increase in women contesting for leadership positions in the upcoming local government elections. If we unite to support them, policies that benefit women and communities at large will follow,” she added.

She however expressed confidence that this event would raise more awareness of NILOWV’s work and galvanize greater public support.
Meanwhile, popular gospel artiste, Kenny Saint Brown who represented the APC Women Leader, Lagos State, Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, in her submission said, “It is important to support women but most especially those who would be accountable, truthful and ready to work.

“We must support women who are sound spiritually, mentally, physically and intellectually. We must know the caliber of women who would lead us. Women who are mentally sound and disciplined. You must be intellectually strong you must be disciplined as a woman, everybody must know you”, she said.