Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has urged that Nigeria’s Constitution should provide legal backing for reserved seats for women in politics, arguing that their presence in governance is far below their share of the population and electoral strength.

The governor made this call on Thursday while speaking at the flag-off of the North-West zonal campaign for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, held as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process.

Governor Sani said women currently occupy less than five per cent of legislative seats at the national level, a figure he described as unacceptable in a democratic society.

He pointed out that although women account for almost half of the country’s population and an even greater proportion of active voters, they remain grossly under-represented in both elected and appointed positions.

The state governor noted that the North-West region has historically witnessed low female participation in elective politics due to deep-rooted social norms, economic obstacles and limited access to political structures.

“This disparity is not a reflection of capacity or competence; it is the result of structural, cultural, economic and institutional barriers that have persisted for decades. Yet these realities are not immutable. They evolve when institutions change, when leadership is intentional, and when women themselves step forward with confidence,” the governor said.

According to him, Kaduna State offers a clear example of what can be achieved through intentional policies aimed at inclusion, adding that the state currently leads Northern Nigeria in women’s political representation.

“We have a female Deputy Governor, a female Majority Leader of the Kaduna State House of Assembly—the first in the North-West—a female Head of Service, and a female elected Local Government Chairman in Jaba,” he said.

He further disclosed that women also head critical ministries such as Health, Business Innovation, Youth Development and Women Affairs, in addition to leading several key parastatals in the state.

The governor stressed that these achievements prove women can win elections, govern effectively, and gain public confidence when given equal opportunities.

“These milestones did not occur by accident. They are the outcome of deliberate choices, inclusive leadership and the courage of women who stepped forward to contest and serve,” he stated.

Governor Sani also recalled Nigeria’s international and national commitments to gender inclusion, including the Beijing Declaration’s 30 per cent affirmative action benchmark and the National Gender Policy’s 35 per cent target.

He explained that the Reserved Seats for Women Bill is in line with global democratic best practices and is designed to tackle long-standing under-representation through constitutionally guaranteed legislative seats.

“The bill proposes 182 additional seats for women across the National and State Assemblies—one per state and the FCT in the Senate, one per state and the FCT in the House of Representatives, and three per state in the Houses of Assembly,” he said.

The governor clarified that the plan would not replace existing seats but would expand representation, adding that it is intended as a temporary measure to last for four election cycles.

Also speaking at the event, the APC National Women Leader, Dr Mary Alile Idele, decried the steady drop in women’s presence in the National Assembly between 2003 and 2023.

“By 2019 and again in 2023, women held fewer than five per cent of seats in the National Assembly—one of the lowest rates globally.”

Idele added that the bill would secure protected political space for women, motivate young girls nationwide and strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.

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