Reps Moves To Increase National Assembly Seats From 469 To 552

A constitutional amendment to reserve 10 per cent of seats in the National Assembly for women and five per cent for persons with disabilities (PWDs) has been proposed by the House of Representatives.

Naijaonpoint understands that the proposal suggests 83 additional seats would be created exclusively for women, 55 in the House of Representatives, increasing its membership from 360 to 415, and 28 in the Senate, raising the total number of seats in the National Assembly from 469 to 552.

The proposal was made known on Tuesday by the House of Reps Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, at the official opening of the 2025 National Assembly Open Week and the launch of the 10th House Midterm Legislative Scorecard in Abuja.

He said the draft amendment seeks to embed the quotas in the Constitution to ensure gender and disability inclusion, adding that these reserved seats would be filled through direct elections on separate ballots and distributed by state to ensure regional balance.

According to the Speaker, five per cent of existing seats would be reserved for PWDs, with candidates nominated by accredited disability advocacy organisations.

Abbas said: “A central feature of our inclusive governance proposals is the introduction of constitutionally guaranteed reserved seats for women and persons with disabilities. Under the draft amendment, ten per cent (10%) of seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives would be set aside for women, apportioned by state to ensure regional balance.

“These seats would be filled through direct elections on separate ballots, with staggered terms to promote continuity and mentorship. Five per cent of seats would be reserved for persons with disabilities, with candidates nominated by accredited disability advocacy organisations. Reserved-seat representatives would enjoy the same rights, privileges, and committee assignments as their peers, reinforcing their full integration into legislative work.

“At independence in 1960, women occupied less than one per cent of parliamentary seats. By 1990, it had only risen to two per cent. In 1999, women held just 3.9 per cent in the House and four per cent in the Senate. Today, despite constituting half the population, women’s representation remains stagnant.”

The Speaker pointed to global examples, including Rwanda and Senegal, where constitutional quotas raised female representation from under five per cent to over 30 per cent in one electoral cycle.