The House of Representatives’ deputy speaker, Benjamin Kalu, has advocated for a partnership with the U.S. government to support Nigeria’s efforts in promoting gender equity and electoral reforms.

Mr Kalu made the call on Thursday during a meeting with a delegation from the U. S Embassy in Nigeria led by David Frost, a political counsellor.

Mr Kalu, who also chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, said the collaboration would involve technical expertise, advocacy, and capacity building.

He also advocated for the co-creation of a women’s legislative leadership programme to train future female lawmakers.

Mr Kalu said the constitution review committee had prioritised women and youth participation in governance, judiciary, and local government reforms among others.

He bemoaned the low representation of women in legislative seats nationwide, stressing that the constitution review committee had proposed adding special seats for women in the Senate, House of Representatives, and state parliaments.

“This is not just a failure of representation; it is a failure of justice. To correct this imbalance, we have introduced the Special Seats
Bill (HB 1349) – a 16-year Temporary Special Measure to reserve 182 additional legislative seats for women (37 Senate, 37 House, 108 State Assemblies).

“This arrangement will ensure that one special seat per state in the Senate and the House of Representatives at the national level and one seat per senatorial district at the sub-national level is reserved for women,” he said.

The deputy speaker explained that the bill sought to address systemic barriers – financial exclusion, electoral violence, and patriarchal norms – by creating women-only constituencies.

He also hinted that the zonal public hearing on the thematic areas of the constitution review process would commence soon across the six geo-political zones.

Mr Kalu explained that the constitution review was a moral covenant with future generations, not just a legislative exercise. He urged a broad-based public participation and partnership with the U.S. Embassy to ensure that Nigeria’s constitution became a beacon of equity, security, and prosperity.

(NAN)