2027: Delay in passage of reserved seats bill may jeopardise women’s representation says Commissioner

 

Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, has warned that delays in passing the Women’s Reserved Seats Bill threaten female representation in 2027 elections.

Ambrose gave the warning on Tuesday during the 2026 International Women’s Day celebration held at Alausa, Ikeja, stressing urgency as electoral timelines tighten ahead of party primaries nationwide.

She said failure to operationalise the bill before party primaries would limit its impact, preventing it from influencing candidate selection processes and ultimately weakening women’s participation in the forthcoming electoral cycle.

According to her, recent adjustments to the election timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have further shortened the timeframe required to implement reforms aimed at expanding women’s political participation nationwide.

“The time available to operationalise critical proposals that expand participation, especially through the Reserved Seats Bill for women, is now shorter,” Ambrose said.

She explained that if the bill does not take effect before party primaries, it would be unable to influence candidacy decisions or electoral outcomes across different political parties nationwide.

“If proposals do not influence candidacy, they cannot influence outcomes.

"And if outcomes remain unchanged, many women will remain underrepresented for another electoral cycle,” Ambrose-Medebem said.

The commissioner stressed the issue extends beyond policy considerations, describing it as fundamental to fairness, inclusion, and national development, requiring deliberate action to ensure women are adequately represented in governance structures.

In spite of concerns, she highlighted ongoing Lagos initiatives promoting women’s economic empowerment, including Lagos State Employment Trust Fund support providing funding, training, and mentorship opportunities to thousands of female entrepreneurs statewide.

She also cited the N10 billion Lagos State Access to Finance through Cooperatives programme, offering non-collateralised loans up to N10 million at single-digit interest rates to cooperative-based MSMEs across Lagos State.

Ambrose noted intensified capacity building through Lagos State Export Readiness Programme, which trained 252 SMEs in export development, with 20 businesses sponsored to participate in an intra-African trade fair.

She reiterated that Lagos remains committed to strengthening women’s participation across economic and leadership spaces, emphasising that economic empowerment and political inclusion must progress together to achieve sustainable development outcomes statewide.

In his remarks, Permanent Secretary Mr Babatunde Onigbanjo said empowering women drives economic growth and social stability, highlighting government initiatives supporting women-led enterprises through cooperative development, financing access, and market linkages.

Also speaking, Senior Special Assistant Mrs Nana Adeeyo said efforts continue to support women transitioning from informal to formal business structures, enabling access to larger markets, contracts, and institutional financing opportunities.