UN Women, Stakeholders Strategize on Getting Special Seats Bill Passed to Increase Number of Women Holding Political Positions

By: Michael Mike

Key stakeholders, including United Nations
(UN) Women and Women Political Participation Partners Working Group are fine-tunning plans and drumming support for the passage of Special Seats Bill currently before the National Assembly.

Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja at the Strategy Convening on Special Seats Bill – Opportunities and Challenges: Options for State and Grassroot Advocacy Positioning Citizens for Nation-Wide Conversation, Ms Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, explained that the Special Seats Bill, seeks to address the under-representation of women in leadership positions.

She explained that the Bill, when passed into law, would be a major boost in enhancing women’s voice and representation in the country’s leadership and in the legislative agenda.

The intention of the bill is to create special seats for women as a temporary but necessary corrective measure, and its
passage is expected not only to strengthen the presence of women in national and state legislatures but also set a precedent for inclusive governance that reflects the diversity of Nigeria’s population.

The bill has been designed to suit Nigeria’s political and electoral context providing for seat reservations (women-only seats) because only women compete for such reserved seats, and they do not displace male elites contrary to popular belief among the political elite.

The bill also seek to amend sections 48, 49 and 91 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to create 74 seats in the National Assembly and 108 seats in the States Houses of Assembly (altogether) bringing the total number of seats to 182 seats in the Legislative arm of government.

In the current National Assembly, Eyong decried that women only occupy 3% of the seats in the Senate and 3.9% of the seats in the House of Representatives.

She revealed that UN Women has built strategic partnerships to garner support for the Special Seats Bill across the country.

She said: “UN Women has built strategic partnerships that are already yielding important advocacy results in terms of support for the Special Seats Bill across the country.

“15 Radio Stations and two TV Stations are hosting weekly programmes on the Special Seats Bill.

“The campaign is also being catalysed through newspapers and different media platforms.

“Further, UN Women will support the convening of 120 townhalls across 24 states to give citizens the opportunity to interact with the Bill and prepare memoranda to be submitted to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitutional Reform during their state-level and zonal public hearings.

“This will be supported by over 500,000 physical endorsements of the Bill in the 24 states.

“This great campaign is made possible courtesy, the Governments of Canada and the United Kingdom. We salute these two governments in their resolute to walk this journey with the Nigerian women.”

In her welcome address, the Chair, Women Political Participation Partners Working Group, Barrister Ebere Ifendu, explained that the intent of the “bill is to provide for a temporary specific measure to fast-track women’s political participation in Nigeria, the seats will be tenured for a specific amount of years and may be reviewed by the National Assembly.”

She pointed out that the meeting was convened to assess the opportunities and challenges surrounding the bill, refine strategies for national and grassroots advocacy, and to coordinate efforts to ensure the bill gains the support it needs in both houses of the National Assembly and across at least 24 State Houses of Assembly.

She added that. “The next few months (from May to August 2025) will be decisive. They demand from us a united voice, strategic action, and fervent commitment.

“We must engage our representatives in the National Assembly, mobilise citizens, raise critical awareness, amplify grassroots support, coordinate efforts and ensure that women, including young women and women with disabilities, are not just participants, but leaders in shaping the future of our democracy.”

UN Women, Stakeholders Strategize on Getting Special Seats Bill Passed to Increase Number of Women Holding Political Positions

Benue ward head kidnapped by gunmen, search underway

By: Zagazola Makama

A 50-year-old ward head, Dickson Idu, has been abducted by unknown gunmen in Benue State.

Zagazola understand that the incident occurred around 7:30 PM on April 29, 2025, along a bush road between Egwanokwu and Aiegaji villages, located in the Ohimini Local Government Area.

Nigerian troops with the support of the Police and Benue Civil Protection Guards, were swiftly deployed to the scene.

Authorities have begun combing the surrounding bushes in an effort to rescue the victim unharmed and to engage the kidnappers.

Benue ward head kidnapped by gunmen, search underway

Student Commit Suicide at Nasarawa State University

By: Zagazola Makama

A 23-year-old student of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), identified as Jatau Shebah Rilokwah, was found dead in an apparent suicide in the university’s senior staff quarters.

Zagazola was informed the discovery was made on April 27, 2025, by Emmanuel Gyawo, a security officer at the university, who was directed by Professor Shedrack Jatau to check on his son. Upon arriving at the residence, Gyawo found Rilokwah hanging from the ceiling.

Professor Jatau, who was reportedly out of state at the time, was informed of the incident. A team of police detectives, led by the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) of Angwan Lambu, was dispatched to the scene.

The body showed no signs of violence, and no suicide note was found. Rilokwah was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Keffi, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor. His body has been deposited in the hospital morgue.

Police sources say investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Student Commit Suicide at Nasarawa State University