Constitutional review in Nigeria traces its roots back to the pre-independence era, marked by colonial rule, during which the territory that would later become Nigeria witnessed significant agitation and demands for reforms. Among these demands were issues concerning women’s rights and taxation. While early constitutional reviews saw some successes such as the introduction of regionalism and increased citizen participation, the specific needs of women, who constitute nearly half of Nigeria’s population, have often been sidelined and needs to be addressed constitutionally. Historically, women’s contributions and needs have been overlooked in Nigeria’s constitutional review processes. Despite making up nearly half of the population, Nigerian women face significant barriers to political participation, economic opportunities, and access to education and healthcare.

Addressing the challenges/barriers of women inclusion in governance requires a concerted effort to dismantle systemic barriers and promote gender-inclusive governance. Constitutional inclusion of women is not merely a matter of equity but a prerequisite for building a truly democratic society that harnesses the talents and perspectives of all its citizens. Some of the key challenges encountered by women include economic disparities, high rates of violence against women, educational inequalities, inadequate healthcare services, and significant underrepresentation in political offices. Historical events like the Aba Women’s Revolt of 1929 and the leadership of figures such as Funmilayo Ransom Kuti and Grace Alele Williams highlight the crucial role women have played and can continue to play in Nigeria’s development.

Centre LSD has a strong track record of advocating for inclusive governance and has been actively involved in past constitution review processes. Therefore, this project aims to enhance women’s participation in Nigerian governance through constitutional reforms. The ongoing constitutional review process presents a critical opportunity to address these issues. Amongst others, the project also seeks to institutionalize gender equality through legislative measures, ensuring that women’s participation in governance is not dependent on sporadic opportunities but guided by the ground norm – the Constitution, and fundamentally operated by Nigeria’s democratic framework.

As the 10^th National Assembly embarks on another constitutional review process, there is need to prioritize not only issues of gender equality but guarantee its operationalization by creating a constitutional provision that legitimizes gender equality. This will essentially ensure that women’s voices are heard, access to political and decision-making spaces legitimized and the opportunity to continue to grow and contribute their quota to the socioeconomic and political development realized. This way, the alienation and marginalization would have become a thing of the past. The future of this country cannot be guaranteed with views and perspectives women who constitutes about 50% of the population. As critical stakeholders in the Nigerian project, it behooves on us to work assiduously towards the realization of gender equality by making it a provision of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution as amended. The benefit of this will be enormous. It will bring to end the perpetuation of injustice against women, advances Nigeria’s progress towards sustainable development, deepens inclusive governance and paves the way for democratization in every sense of it. Therefore, this initiative will contribute to building a more inclusive and representative democracy that harnesses the talents and perspectives of all its citizens, thereby, promoting gender-sensitive legislation and ensuring that women’s voices are heard in shaping Nigeria’s future.