The roundtable brings together stakeholders and development partners to review recent developments around the Special Seats Bill, consider emerging proposals on its implementation, and agree on key advocacy priorities ahead of legislative voting.

Speaking at the roundtable, Clement Nwankwo, Executive Director of PLAC, highlighted the growing national and international interest in the proposed legislation.

“This bill is attracting a lot of national and international attention.”

Setting the context for the day’s discussions, Ms. Joy Akut, Special Adviser to the Deputy Speaker on Youth and Women Affairs, outlined the background and rationale for revising the Special Seats Bill, providing participants with an overview of the legislative process and the issues surrounding the proposed reforms.

Prof. Antonia Okoosi-Simbine, Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) and former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), delivered a presentation titled “Comparative Practices and Models: Lessons from Other Jurisdictions.”

The presentation examined approaches adopted in different countries to promote greater representation of women in political and legislative institutions and highlighted lessons that could inform Nigeria’s ongoing discussions on the Special Seats Bill.

Further insights were provided by Graca Sanches, Project Officer for Gender and Youth Programmes at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), who expanded on comparative practices and models from other jurisdictions. Her presentation highlighted various measures countries have adopted to increase women’s representation in political and legislative institutions.

The roundtable concluded with a plenary discussion focused on civil society advocacy priorities, key messages and next steps for advancing the Special Seats Bill.

The session was moderated by Esther Hadiza Ijeaku, Strategic Communications Expert at SkillHub Consulting.

The Civil Society Roundtable provides an important platform for stakeholders to strengthen collaboration, deepen understanding of the proposed legislation and build coordinated advocacy efforts ahead of legislative voting on the Special Seats Bill.