By Solomon OKPO
Senior Nigerian media executives have converged to drum up nationwide support for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, ahead of a crucial vote in the National Assembly, describing the proposed legislation as a decisive step toward correcting long-standing gender imbalance in political representation.
At the meeting, the media leaders unanimously endorsed the bill and called on Nigerians, civil society organisations, and advocacy groups to mount sustained public pressure on lawmakers to ensure its passage. They argued that women’s persistent underrepresentation in elective offices undermines democratic inclusiveness and weakens governance outcomes.
The executives stressed that the media has a strategic responsibility to shape informed public discourse on the bill, highlight its merits, and counter misinformation. According to them, reserving legislative seats for women is not about privileging gender, but about creating a fairer political playing field in a system historically skewed against women.
They noted that Nigeria lags behind many African countries in female political representation and warned that failure to pass the bill would reinforce structural exclusion. The forum urged legislators to rise above partisan considerations and view the bill as a national imperative aligned with global best practices on gender equity.
As the National Assembly prepares to vote, the media executives pledged to intensify coverage, advocacy, and civic education efforts to mobilise public opinion in favour of the bill, insisting that its passage would mark a turning point for inclusive governance and democratic maturity in Nigeria.
The Evangelist News
