As Nigeria’s National Assembly nears a decisive vote, a controversial constitutional amendment reserving legislative seats for women has become a defining test of political courage. Beyond gender justice, advocates say failure to pass the bill risks shutting Nigeria out of a projected $269 billion economic gain and deepening a democratic deficit. Sunday Aborisade reports.
In the hushed corridors of the National Assembly, where deals are whispered and history is often decided by delay, Nigeria stands on the edge of yet another defining moment. The Reserved Seats for Women Bill, now at the critical third reading stage, has transformed from a gender advocacy proposal into a high-stakes referendum on Nigeria’s democratic maturity, economic foresight, and political sincerity.
For years, debates around women’s political inclusion were dismissed as sentimental or culturally inconvenient. This time, however, the argument has acquired numbers, timelines, and an unmistakable urgency.