ABUJA: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting evidence-based advocacy, legislative engagement and democratic reforms aimed at expanding women’s participation in Nigerian politics.
The UNDP Resident Representative, Ms Elsie Atafuah, stated this on Thursday in Abuja at a one-day high-level strategic meeting on the Special Seats Bill organised by the UN Nigeria.
The meeting was convened for the Women Political Participation Partners Working Group (WPP-PWG) in collaboration with UN Women and other partners.
Atafuah said the engagement was taking place at a critical moment as the National Assembly prepares to vote on the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to reserve special seats for women in the legislature.
She commended UN Women, the WPP-PWG, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, civil society organisations and development partners for sustained advocacy to advance women’s political participation.
According to her, the Special Seats Bill represents a defining point in Nigeria’s
democratic and constitutional journey, bringing together years of advocacy, coalition-building and citizen mobilisation around inclusive representation.
She described the bill as a reform capable of strengthening leadership quality, institutional responsiveness and public policy outcomes for women, men and young people.
Atafuah said the bill was also a test of political will and democratic maturity, noting that women’s underrepresentation remained a constraint on human development, institutional performance and inclusive growth.
She added that inclusive governance promotes social cohesion and better development outcomes, and aligns with Nigeria’s constitutional ideals as well as regional and international commitments, including the Maputo Protocol.
She reaffirmed UNDP’s support for peaceful democratic reform processes and evidence-based advocacy, stressing that affirmative measures such as special seats were corrective mechanisms to address long-standing structural barriers to participation.
The meeting featured remarks by the Chair of WPP-PWG, Ms Ebere Ifendu, presentations on the status of the bill and National Assembly dynamics by Mr John Mutu, and key advocacy actions ahead of the vote presented by Ms Ene Obi, former ActionAid Nigeria Country Director.
The Special Seats Bill, which has passed key legislative stages and attracted over one million citizen endorsements, seeks to promote gender-inclusive governance and strengthen women’s leadership and political participation in Nigeria.
