Israel Oluyemi
Senator Seriake Dickson has called for the urgent passage of the reserved seats bill to boost women’s participation in politics.
The Bayelsa West lawmaker made the call during a meeting with the Women Collective Hub, led by Nkoyo Toyo, in Abuja.
He described Nigeria’s low female representation in government as “very shameful,” compared to countries like Rwanda, Senegal, and Liberia.
Dickson stressed that women must have a meaningful voice in governance to strengthen democracy and inclusiveness.
“To achieve real progress, we need affirmative legal action. If it is constitutional, fine. If it is by any other legislation, fine. But we need something,” he said.
“Nigeria has competent women who can lead, but we have to create a mechanism. This is why these reserved seats and other forms of affirmative action are important,” he added.
He urged the bill’s passage before the next elections to ensure women can benefit from reserved positions.
“So if the bill is passed early, then we can begin to see the benefits in the next election. I want to have women at the table. Even if it is through nomination, what matters is that women are represented,” Dickson said.
Nkoyo Toyo traced women’s political advocacy in Nigeria back to the late 1990s.
“Those efforts were strong, but when the process became politicised, women’s issues were sidelined. The final constitution did not reflect our expectations,” she said.
Toyo warned that without prompt reforms, Nigeria risks another election cycle with minimal female representation.
Dudu Manuga, National Women Leader of the NDC, said her party empowers women through mentorship, training, and financial support.
“We want women to emerge not just as participants, but as candidates and leaders across all levels, from local government to the presidency,” she said.
Dickson reiterated that addressing economic and social barriers is key to achieving gender equality in politics.
“We need affirmative legal action…until you address this issue of the economic imbalance and all the social and other things that put them down there won’t be headway,” he said.
The visit highlights growing pressure on lawmakers to adopt measures that guarantee women equal opportunities in governance.