Pass special seat bill for women, group appeals to NASS

A pro-gender equality group, Male Feminists Network (MFN),  has appealed to the National Assembly to pass the special seat bill for women in the legislative arm ahead of the 2027 general elections. 

Project Director for the network, Dr. Otive Igbuzor made the appeal in Abuja during a two-day capacity-building programme for women’s rights organisations on engaging male allies.

The human development expert lamented that the country has one of the global worst records of women participation in politics, stressing that the lawmakers have a patriotic role to play in changing the narratives.

Igbuzor noted that African countries with increased women participation in politics did it through constitutional provisions. 

He advised the National Assembly to do the needful and pass the bill.

According to the Male Feminist enthusiast: “The 10th National Assembly would be writing its name in gold if they pass the special seat bill for women in order to boost women participation in politics and in decision making.”

Highlighting the efforts of the network at curbing gender-based violence (GBV) and promote gender equality across the country, Igbuzor said no fewer than 3,200 Nigerian men have been trained and certified as feminist allies under the MFN project.

He said the two-year national project (2025–2027) implemented by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD) has been executed through six zonal partners covering Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

He added that the initiative was created to address a long-standing gap in gender justice advocacy—mobilising men to take responsibility for dismantling patriarchy rather than remaining silent beneficiaries of unequal systems.

According to him: “Patriarchy is produced, enforced, and defended within male-dominated systems. It cannot be dismantled without men changing their beliefs, behaviours, and use of power,” he said.

To actualise the initiative, Igbuzor said 52 master trainers nationwide were trained, adding that they cascaded the training to over 500 additional trainers across the six geopolitical zones of the country

He added that the project has also the launch of the world’s first online course dedicated exclusively to Male Feminism and GBV prevention. 

According to him: “Since its introduction, the platform has attracted 8,552 participants, with 3,150 Nigerians successfully completing the course and earning certification.

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“These men are not just learning; they are taking action—leading conversations in their communities, challenging harmful gender norms, and supporting women’s rights initiatives,” Igbuzor noted.