‎ Nigeria: ‎Youths Urged to Drive Women Reserve Seats Bill via Digital Platforms

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‎‎By Justina Auta
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‎ Young Nigerians have been urged to harness digital platforms to intensify advocacy for the passage of the Women’s Reserved Seats Bill, which aims to increase gender inclusion and representation in governance structures.
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‎The call was made at a public dialogue on the Nigerian Reserved Seats for Women Bill, tagged “Her Voice, Her Vote, Her Seat,” on Friday in Abuja to engage youth leaders.
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‎The event was organised by Open Minds Young Voices (OMYV), a community of young advocates for social justice and good governance, in collaboration with TOS Foundation and support from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
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‎Ms Esther Raji, a representative of OMYV, noted the persistently low representation of women in political and appointive positions, emphasising the urgent need for robust and inclusive gender-responsive governance across Nigeria.
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‎“We are driving this high-level youth-led convening to raise awareness, deepen public engagement, and strengthen advocacy efforts toward the passage of the Nigerian Women’s Reserved Seats Bill,” she said.
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‎Mr Kingsley Simtin, Executive Director of TOS Foundation, said Nigerian women occupied less than five per cent of elective positions, highlighting the need to reshape Nigeria’s democratic future to be fully inclusive.
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‎“When half the population is underrepresented, the nation cannot fully progress.
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‎“This Reserved Women’s Seats Bill is not just another legislative proposal; it is a historic opportunity to correct structural injustice. But legislation does not pass on good intentions alone.
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‎“It requires public awareness, coalition building, unified advocacy, and active citizen engagement, especially from young people who are empowered to monitor political decisions,” he added.
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‎He also urged Nigerian youths to monitor political representatives using the recently launched 469 Tracker, a digital accountability platform showing where each of the 469 federal lawmakers stood on the Reserved Women’s Seats Bill.
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‎“The 469 Tracker allows every Nigerian to see, at a glance, where each of the 469 federal lawmakers stands on the Reserved Women’s Seats Bill, making information public, accessible, and easy to understand.
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‎“It ensures no lawmaker can hide behind silence. It ensures the voices of Nigerians, especially young people and women, are heard where it matters most in influencing the passage of legislation,” he added.
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‎During a panel session on “The Path to Passage: Barriers, Opportunities and the Way Forward,” participants emphasised the need to raise public awareness about the Reserved Women’s Seats Bill.
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‎Participants also reiterated the importance of building youth and community support for gender-inclusive governance to ensure a more equitable society and to increase active citizen engagement in political processes.
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‎Miss Amina Yahaya, a development practitioner, urged youths to amplify advocacy for the bill via social media platforms, while actively engaging policymakers, traditional leaders, and other stakeholders to secure the bill’s passage.
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‎Miss Andikan Umoh, a development professional and advocacy lead at TOS Foundation, said, “You cannot compensate underrepresentation by giving us positions like women leader or symbolic appointments without real authority or decision-making.
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‎“It is not tokenism. The time is now for action. Let us use 469 Tracker to monitor parliamentarians and identify who supports or opposes the bill as a criterion for re-election.
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‎“We must ensure lawmakers understand that re-election depends on delivering what citizens want.
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‎“What we want now is clear: the Reserved Seats for Women Bill must be passed to guarantee gender equity,” she added.
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‎Ms Bushrah Balogun, a specialist in policy, governance, and social inclusion, stressed the importance of grassroots advocacy and enlightenment campaigns in local dialects to ensure the bill’s understanding and widespread support.
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‎Ms Adaora Sydney-Jack, Executive Director of Gender Strategy and Advancement International (GSAI), emphasised the need to champion inclusive development and inspire a generation of women and youths to break barriers across Africa.
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‎Dr Chidozie Aja, Special Adviser (Legislative) to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, also highlighted the urgent need to enact legislation that enhanced inclusive governance and strengthened women’s representation in decision-making. (NAN)