Lagos Commissioner Warns Delayed Women's Reserved Seats Bill Risks Underrepresentation
Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperative, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Bada Ambrose, has voiced significant apprehension that postponements in enacting the Reserved Seats Bill for women could severely compromise female participation in governance structures. Ambrose articulated these worries during the 2026 International Women's Day observance held at Alausa in Ikeja, emphasizing the urgent need for legislative action.
Timing Concerns and Electoral Impact
According to the commissioner, the failure to operationalize this critical bill before upcoming party primaries would drastically curtail its effectiveness, potentially sidelining numerous women in the forthcoming electoral cycle. She pointed out that recent adjustments to the election timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission have further compressed the timeframe available for implementing reforms designed to bolster women's involvement in politics.
"The time available to operationalise critical proposals that expand participation, especially through the Reserved Seats Bill for women, is now shorter," Ambrose stated. She elaborated that if the bill does not take effect prior to party primaries, it will be unable to influence candidate selection processes or subsequent election outcomes.
"If they do not influence candidacy, they cannot influence outcomes. And if outcomes remain unchanged, a significant portion of the women population will remain underrepresented for another electoral cycle," she added, highlighting the cyclical nature of the issue.
Broader Implications and State Initiatives
Ambrose stressed that this matter transcends mere policy, framing it as a fundamental question of fairness, inclusion, and national development. Despite these concerns, she underscored ongoing efforts by the Lagos State Government to advance women's economic empowerment through various programs:
- The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund has provided funding, training, and mentorship to thousands of female entrepreneurs.
- The N10 billion Lagos State Access to Finance through Cooperatives (LASMECO) programme, in collaboration with the Bank of Industry and Sterling Bank, offers non-collateralised loans up to N10 million at single-digit interest rates to cooperative-based micro, small, and medium enterprises.
- Capacity building initiatives like the Lagos State Export Readiness Programme (LASERP) have trained 252 SMEs in export development, with 20 businesses sponsored to attend an intra-African trade fair in Algiers.
"Economic empowerment and political inclusion must go hand in hand," Ambrose reiterated, affirming Lagos's commitment to enhancing women's roles in both economic and leadership domains.
Supporting Voices and Additional Efforts
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Babatunde Onigbanjo, emphasized the importance of women's empowerment as a catalyst for economic growth and social stability. He noted that the government continues to execute targeted initiatives, including:
- Cooperative development schemes
- Access to low-interest financing
- Market linkage programmes to support women-led enterprises
Additionally, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Commerce, Cooperative, Trade and Investment, Mrs Nana Adeeyo, highlighted ongoing efforts to assist women in transitioning from informal to formal business structures. She explained that formalization would enable women entrepreneurs to access larger markets, government contracts, and institutional financing, thereby amplifying their economic potential.
This collective focus underscores a multifaceted approach to addressing gender disparities, even as the political dimension remains a pressing concern.
