by FIDAMale Champions in Lokoja Back Special Seats for Women
Change gains momentum when key actors take deliberate steps. In Lokoja, 30 male champions convened for a one-day HeForShe advocacy meeting to support women’s political inclusion in Nigeria.
Their purpose was clear—amplify the demand for gender-balanced representation without overshadowing the voices of women. During the session, participants contributed to and finalized a memorandum endorsing the allocation of special seats for women in Nigeria’s parliament. This move signals a shift in perspective: gender inclusion is not exclusive to women—it is a collective responsibility.
The advocacy meeting was facilitated by FIDA Nigeria, with support from UN Women and funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the UK Government.
FIDA Nigeria continues to engage with stakeholders who are committed to structural reforms that promote equitable representation at all levels.
#SpecialSeatsReserved4WomenBill
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by FIDAFIDA NIGERIA ENGAGES CITIZENS TO BUILD CONSENSUS AND AGGREGRATE DEMANDS ON PASSAGE OF THE RESERVED SEATS FOR WOMEN’S BILL TOWARDS STRENGTHENING NIGERIAN WOMEN REPRESENTATION IN PARLIAMENT
The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, with support from the UNWOMEN Nigeria and funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) has launched a significant new initiative aimed at engaging Nigerian Citizens at the State and Community levels towards building consensus and aggregating demands on the passage of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill which is presently being considered by Joint Constitutional Reform Committees of the National Assembly.
This initiative, launched under the auspices of the Advancing Women’s Inclusion and Representation in Leadership and Political Processes in Nigeria project, will be implemented across nine States of the Federation namely: Anambra, Enugu (South East), Edo (South South), Oyo (South West), Kogi (North Central), Adamawa (North East), Sokoto, Kano & Jigawa(North West)
Mrs. Eliana Martins, Country Vice President of FIDA Nigeria in a Statement disseminated to the press, informs Nigerians that this initiative aims to drive conversations on inclusivity of gender quota specifically campaigns and advocacy on Reservation of Special Seats for Women at the Nigerian Parliament (Senate, House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly); in the constitutional amendment process, working with multi-stakeholders at both the State and Local communities.
She stated that through proper and regular engagements, these stakeholders will unanimously aggregate demands, through a co-creation process, collate inputs which will be reduced into a draft memorandum which will be presented at the public hearings before the relevant National Assembly committees.
Laying credence to the aforementioned statement, the Senior Manager, Programs & Partnerships FIDA Nigeria emphasized that advocacy is tilted towards enabling a gender responsive legal environment that will witness additional Special Seats for 37 Women in the Nigerian Senate and Federal House of Representatives respectively, totaling 74 and 108 additional seats at the respective State Houses of Assembly
Mr. Fikih Obaro further highlighted the primary goals of the project to include:
- Strengthening advocacy efforts for the inclusion of exclusive additional special seats for women through strategic partnerships with key state and non-state actors.
- Increasing public awareness and support in advancing women political participation and representation through the constitution amendment process.
- Aggregating demands and advocacy asks through a draft memorandum from citizens towards improving women representation in Governance and political process.
- Securing commitments from National and State Houses of Assembly by building a passage for 74 additional exclusive Special Seats for Women at the National Assembly and 108 Seats at the State Houses of Assembly through Constitutional Amendment/Review process.
Conclusively the Country Vice President/National President, Mrs. Eliana Martins encouraged the public to support all efforts to advance the representation and participation of women in Nigerian politics and specifically the Nigerian ….
She also invited everyone to follow FIDA Nigeria’s activities related to this project on social media:
- Facebook: @fidanig
- X (Twitter): @fidanigeria
- Instagram: fida.nigeria
- Website: www.fida.org.ng
God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
God bless FIDA Nigeria
Eliana Martins (Mrs.)
Country Vice President /National President
by FIDAStrengthening Families, Empowering Communities: FIDA Nigeria–Abuja Branch Brings Legal Awareness to Gwarimpa Village
Every strong society is built on the foundation of informed, protected, and empowered families. Recognizing this, FIDA Nigeria Abuja Branch marked the International Day of Families with a deeply impactful community outreach to Gwarimpa Village bringing legal education closer to the people and reaffirming its commitment to promoting family rights at the grassroots level.
Families in Gwarimpa gathered with hope and curiosity as FIDA Chairperson, Chioma Onyenucheya-Uko, led an engaging session that spotlighted the everyday legal challenges many households face but rarely talk about gender-based violence, child neglect, early and forced marriage, and harmful inheritance practices.
“Your family should be a place of protection, not fear,” she told the crowd, reminding them that while cultural traditions matter, no tradition should override the rights and safety of any individual, especially women and children.
Warmly received by the Dakachin Gwarimpa, Alhaji Bayero Yakubu, the outreach created a space where law met culture, and dialogue gave way to understanding. The community’s openness to learning and collaboration was clear. Many, including the village women’s leader, spoke of the transformative power of knowledge and how the session helped shed light on issues long considered taboo or misunderstood.
“We have learned today that we are not powerless. The law is for us too,” said one participant, visibly moved. “I will take this message to the men in our homes, to the mothers, and to the children growing up in silence.”
Chairperson Onyenucheya-Uko emphasized the importance of utilizing existing laws such as the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act and the Child Rights Act to safeguard families and ensure justice. She called for communities to become active stakeholders in building safer, more inclusive homes and societies.
In response, Alhaji Bayero Yakubu expressed heartfelt gratitude to FIDA for choosing Gwarimpa for the outreach. He pledged the community’s willingness to support future engagements and ensure that the lessons shared would not end with the day’s event.
The outreach wasn’t just a one-off event; it was a call to action a reminder that legal empowerment is a powerful tool for social change. FIDA Nigeria–Abuja Branch continues to walk alongside families, especially in underrepresented communities, offering not only legal guidance but also hope for a more just and equitable future.
As the sun set on Gwarimpa that day, the air was filled not only with gratitude but with the quiet strength of a community awakened to its rights and ready to rise.
