Women in Nasarawa State have called for the allocation of special parliamentary seats for women in the National Assembly and the 36 state Houses of Assembly, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The demand was made during a meeting convened by the League of Women Voters of Nigeria, in collaboration with the Nasarawa State Chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), held in Lafia, the state capital.
Chairperson of the League, Mrs Veronica Ogbole, said the initiative aims to foster political inclusion and enhance good governance. She lamented Nigeria’s poor ranking among countries with significant female representation in governance, describing it as disappointing and unacceptable.
“Even some smaller African nations are ahead of Nigeria, the most populous black country in terms of women’s participation in governance,” Ogbole noted. “This trend must be reversed to improve representation and effectively tackle issues affecting us.”
She proposed that one Senate seat, one House of Representatives seat, and three state House of Assembly seats be reserved for women in each of the 36 states.
Ogbole pointed out that many issues concerning women’s welfare struggle to gain traction in legislative chambers due to the underrepresentation of women. She said the group would intensify grassroots sensitisation across the state to encourage women to support and contest for elective positions in future elections.
Also speaking, Chairperson of NAWOJ in Nasarawa State, Hadiza Umar, stressed that the creation of special seats would help break systemic barriers and open more opportunities for women to thrive politically.
She affirmed that women journalists would continue to collaborate with other advocates to promote women’s rights in the interest of national development.
“We shall leverage our platforms to advance initiatives that support the welfare and well-being of women in Nasarawa State and across the country,” she added.
In her goodwill message, the wife of the Nasarawa State Governor, Silifat Sule—represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Women’s Affairs, Mrs Beauty Ebu-Onyawoyi commended the organisers for the sensitisation initiative.
She pledged her continued support for the protection of the rights of women, children, and other vulnerable groups, and encouraged women to actively participate in politics, regardless of societal discouragement or name-calling.
The meeting was attended by various women’s groups and female appointees serving in the Nasarawa State Government.
