Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has disclosed that the National Assembly will pursue constitutional amendments to establish reserved legislative seats for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) after concluding work on the proposed bill seeking reserved seats for women.
Abbas made the disclosure on Thursday in Abuja while receiving a delegation from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), led by the UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa, alongside the UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah.
The Speaker said the House of Representatives is committed to deepening democratic inclusion by ensuring that Persons with Disabilities are better represented in elective offices.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, Abbas said the constitutional amendment for women would be followed by similar efforts to secure reserved parliamentary seats for PWDs.
“Let me inform you that after addressing the reserved women’s seats, our next focus, in collaboration with the UNDP, will be on people with disabilities. These are people who have been neglected in this country—not just in Nigeria, but across Africa. We need to step up and ensure that they are given more visibility, particularly in elective positions, so that they can contribute their quota to the socio-economic development of our country and Africa,” he said.
Abbas expressed optimism that Nigeria could become a model for other African countries by institutionalising reserved seats for Persons with Disabilities.
“What we do in Nigeria can resonate throughout Africa. We believe that if this initiative succeeds, it will open doors across the continent. Others would emulate us by creating special seats for persons with disabilities,” he added.
The Speaker also reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s support for the bill seeking reserved seats for women in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly, noting that the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, also supports the initiative.
“I can confidently tell you that Mr. President and the First Lady are 100 per cent on board on this matter,” Abbas stated.
He disclosed that the Presidency and the leadership of the National Assembly had recently held consultations on strategies to secure the endorsement of state legislatures, whose approval is required for the constitutional amendment.
Abbas further revealed that lawmakers are considering the establishment of an electoral college comprising elected public office holders to elect occupants of the proposed reserved seats, a measure aimed at reducing the financial and logistical costs of conducting separate elections.
The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to address the persistent under-representation of women in Nigeria’s legislatures by creating additional seats exclusively for female lawmakers in the National Assembly and the 36 State Houses of Assembly.
Nigeria has one of the lowest levels of female representation in parliament in Africa, with women accounting for less than five per cent of members of the current National Assembly. The bill forms part of the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution and requires the approval of two-thirds of the National Assembly and at least 24 State Houses of Assembly before it can become law.
If eventually enacted, the proposal for reserved legislative seats for Persons with Disabilities would mark Nigeria’s first constitutional provision specifically guaranteeing political representation for PWDs, complementing the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, which guarantees their rights but does not provide for reserved elective representation.
Earlier, Ahunna Eziakonwa commended Speaker Abbas for championing reforms aimed at improving women’s political participation, describing the reserved seats proposal as critical to Nigeria’s democratic development.
“I just want to commend you for your courage in standing strong around some of these tough issues for the nation. The one that is close to my heart is the proposed reserved seats for women,” she said.
She added that greater inclusion of women in leadership would strengthen governance and accelerate national development.
Also speaking, UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah, praised the Speaker’s commitment to inclusive governance, saying his leadership has continued to advance reforms aimed at broadening participation in Nigeria’s democratic process.
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