The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has disclosed that the National Assembly will pursue constitutional amendments to establish reserved legislative seats for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) after concluding work on the proposed bill seeking reserved seats for women.
Abbas made the disclosure in Abuja while receiving a delegation from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), led by the UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa, alongside the UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah.
According to a statement issued by the Speaker’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, the House of Representatives is committed to deepening democratic inclusion by ensuring that Persons with Disabilities are better represented in elective offices.
Let me inform you that after addressing the reserved women’s seats, our next focus, in collaboration with the UNDP, will be on people with disabilities. These are people who have been neglected in this country—not just in Nigeria, but across Africa, Abbas said.
We need to step up and ensure that they are given more visibility, particularly in elective positions, so that they can contribute their quota to the socio-economic development of our country and Africa.
The Speaker said Nigeria has an opportunity to become a model for other African countries by institutionalising reserved seats for persons with disabilities.
“What we do in Nigeria can resonate throughout Africa. We believe that if this initiative succeeds, it will open doors across the continent. Others would emulate us by creating special seats for persons with disabilities,” he added.
Abbas also reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s support for the proposed constitutional amendment seeking reserved legislative seats for women, stating that the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, also backs the initiative.
“I can confidently tell you that Mr. President and the First Lady are 100 per cent on board on this matter,” he said.
The Speaker disclosed that consultations have continued between the Presidency and the leadership of the National Assembly on securing the support of state legislatures, whose approval will be required for the constitutional amendment.
He further revealed that lawmakers are considering an electoral college comprising elected public office holders to elect occupants of the proposed reserved seats for women, a measure intended to reduce the financial and logistical costs of conducting separate elections.
The proposed constitutional amendment for women seeks to address their persistent underrepresentation in Nigeria’s legislatures by creating additional seats exclusively for female lawmakers in the National Assembly and the 36 State Houses of Assembly. The bill forms part of the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution and must secure the approval of two-thirds of the National Assembly and at least 24 State Houses of Assembly before it can become law.
Although the proposal for Persons with Disabilities has not yet been introduced as a constitutional amendment bill, Abbas said it would be the next major inclusion initiative after work on the women’s bill is concluded.
If eventually enacted, it would represent Nigeria’s first constitutional provision guaranteeing legislative representation for Persons with Disabilities, complementing the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, which protects the rights of persons with disabilities but does not provide for reserved elective representation.
The announcement comes amid growing calls from disability advocates for greater political participation by Persons with Disabilities, arguing that legal protections alone are insufficient without representation in decision-making institutions.
In an earlier PWDSPOTLIGHT report we examined how, nearly eight years after the signing of the Disability Act, implementation remains inconsistent across the country. The report highlighted persistent barriers to accessibility, education, employment, transportation and public services, despite the legal framework guaranteeing equal rights for persons with disabilities.
The report also noted that while the Disability Act established important protections, implementation has often been slowed by inadequate funding, weak institutional enforcement and limited political commitment, leaving many persons with disabilities excluded from opportunities and public life.
Against that backdrop, the Speaker’s announcement signals a shift in the national conversation, from protecting the rights of persons with disabilities to considering how they can be represented in the legislative institutions responsible for making and overseeing the laws that affect them.
Disability advocates have long argued that increasing the representation of Persons with Disabilities in elected office could strengthen oversight of disability policies, improve accountability for implementation of the Disability Act and ensure disability inclusion is reflected in national and state budgets, public infrastructure, education, healthcare and employment policies.
Ahunna Eziakonwa commended Speaker Abbas for championing reforms aimed at expanding inclusion, particularly the proposed reserved seats for women. She described the proposal for reserved seats for women as both a rights issue and a development imperative, expressing optimism that the reforms would strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
Also speaking, UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah, praised the Speaker’s commitment to inclusive governance, saying his leadership has continued to promote reforms aimed at broadening participation in Nigeria’s democratic process.
