Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has renewed her call for the passage of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill currently before the National Assembly.
Mrs Tinubu made the appeal on Friday night while hosting a dinner for members of the National Assembly at the Presidential Villa’s banquet hall in Abuja. The event provided an opportunity to engage legislators on the importance of the bill and other pressing national issues.
In her welcome remarks, the First Lady highlighted growing concerns about the future of the girl child and stressed the need for all children, particularly girls, to have uninterrupted access to education.
She said:
“In the past few days, our nation has faced a lot of assault, especially as it concerns the future of the education of the girl child. The boys, on the other hand, through the Almajiri system, are deprived of basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter under the guise of noble Islamic education.
“This deprivation opens them up to be lured into the wrong hands and the likelihood of being drafted into extremist groups in the fake promise of a better life. This is why we must prioritise reforms that restore dignity, provide safe learning environments, and ensure every child has a fair chance to thrive.”
She added:
“This gathering presents us with a unique opportunity to explore the future of our children, especially through women’s representation across the country, particularly with regards to the Reserved Seats for Women Bill that is before the National Assembly.”
The First Lady emphasised that the dinner was organised to deliberate on national issues rather than serve as a social gathering.
“I have watched with keenness in recent months as various interest groups across our beloved nation, and even international bodies, have gathered momentum in support of this particular bill. The question is, is the topic of this discussion new? Definitely no! I believe we have gone round in circles on this particular issue for so long.
“I ask myself, is this bill indeed possible to scale through? Yes, if not today, someday, and absolutely so. But if we do this now, the 10th Assembly will go down in the history of our legislature as the set that stood for women, when it counted the most. This is the time to take care of our girls and boys.
“This gathering is not for long speeches. It is a moment for dialogue and reflection. An opportunity for us to listen to one another with open minds and to think together about the next chapter of our democracy.”
Others at the event, including Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, Imo State Governor Sen Hope Uzodimma, and APC National Chairman Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, agreed that legislation is not static and must be updated to reflect contemporary realities.
The dinner, which hosted both Senators and members of the National Assembly, aimed to galvanise support for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill and other related national issues.
