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UN Women, Stakeholders Strategize on Getting Special Seats Bill Passed to Increase Number of Women Holding Political Positions
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
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Nation mourns as brave Commanding Officer, six soldiers fall after repelling attack in Monguno
Nation mourns as brave Commanding Officer, six soldiers fall after repelling attack in Monguno
By: Zagazola Makama
Grief and solemn reflection have trailed the tragic loss of a Commanding Officer and six gallant soldiers of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), whose lives were cut short shortly after successfully repelling a terrorist attack in Monguno, Borno.
In the late hours of April 12, troops of Sector 3, Joint Task Force (North East), came under an isolated infiltration attempt at Charlie 13 location. With courage and determination, the soldiers engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle, eventually forcing them to flee and securing the area.
But even in victory, tragedy struck. Driven by an unyielding sense of duty and deep concern for his men, the Commanding Officer chose to move forward, towards the very danger others would avoid, to personally assess the situation on ground. It was a decision that reflected the very essence of true leadership: to lead from the front, to share in the risks, and to stand shoulder to shoulder with his troops.
In that moment of selfless courage, his vehicle encountered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), killing him and six of his men. Their loss is not just a statistic, it is a profound human tragedy.
They were fathers, brothers, sons, and comrades. They were men who wore the nation’s uniform with pride, who stood in the face of danger so others could sleep in peace. They did not retreat when confronted with terror; instead, they stood firm, defended their ground, and ultimately gave everything.
The silence they leave behind echoes loudly across the ranks.
Operation HADIN KAI, in a statement by its Media Information Officer, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, expressed deep sorrow, describing the fallen officer as a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to duty. Their ultimate sacrifice, the statement noted, will forever remain etched in the memory of the Armed Forces and the nation they served with honour.
As the country mourns these heroes, their bravery lives on not only in the victory they secured that night, but in the enduring reminder that freedom and security are often paid for with the highest price.
Nation mourns as brave Commanding Officer, six soldiers fall after repelling attack in Monguno
Troops rescue kidnap victim in kogi
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, have rescued a kidnap victim during a patrol operation in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi.
Zagazola report that the rescue was carried out at about 2:07 p.m. on April 10 by troops deployed at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Egbe.
Sources said the troops, while on patrol within the general area of Aaru Cashew Plantation, located the victim who had been abandoned by his captors.
Preliminary interrogation revealed that the victim was abducted on April 1 at Ejiba Community in the same local government area.
He further disclosed that the kidnappers fled and abandoned him upon sighting troops advancing towards the Dadi Kowa general area.
The victim was subsequently debriefed and safely reunited with his family.
Troops rescue kidnap victim in kogi
Troops foil motorcycle snatching attempt, rescue victims in Kaduna
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of 4 Demonstration Battalion have foiled an attempted motorcycle snatching and rescued two civilians along the Zaria–Kaduna highway in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Security sources said the incident occurred at about 5:45 a.m. on April 10 near Old Berger Camp.
The sources disclosed that troops deployed at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Birnin Yero responded swiftly to a distress call about an attack on two civilians riding a motorcycle towards Zaria.
“On arrival, the troops discovered that the victims had been forced to stop by a vehicle conveying suspected criminals, who were in the process of loading the motorcycle into their car trunk.
“However, the criminals abandoned the motorcycle and fled the scene upon sighting the troops,” the source said.
The injured victims were evacuated for medical attention, while the recovered motorcycle is in the custody of the troops.
Efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice.
Troops foil motorcycle snatching attempt, rescue victims in Kaduna
Troops clear bandits’ camps, rescue victims, recover arms in Bauchi
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