Nigerian lawmakers have proposed 74 seats for women in the National Assembly as part of a constitutional review aimed at increasing women’s representation. The plan would add 37 seats in the Senate and 37 in the House of Representatives, with one in each chamber for every state and the Federal Capital Territory.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele outlined the proposal at the 2026 Law Week organised by the Ekiti State chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, Premium Times reported on Tuesday. The Constitution Review Committee also proposed three additional seats for women in each state House of Assembly.
How the 74 seats for women would work
The proposed seats would be added to the existing legislature. Nigeria currently has 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives. Under the proposal, those numbers would rise to 146 and 397 respectively.
Voters would elect representatives to the reserved seats. Women would still be eligible to contest regular seats. At state level, adding three seats in each of Nigeria’s 36 state assemblies would create a further 108 seats.
What happens before the proposal can become law
The plan requires a constitutional amendment. It needs the support of at least two-thirds of all members in each chamber of the National Assembly, as well as approval from at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 state assemblies.
Women have historically held a small share of seats in Nigeria’s federal legislature. The proposal would increase their representation by creating seats in every state and the Federal Capital Territory while preserving the existing constituencies.
Sources — Premium Times, PLAC’s analysis of the special seats bill, and National Assembly’s constitutional amendment process.
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