Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has donated a brand-new bus to the Ekiti State Chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, as part of efforts to strengthen the organisation’s advocacy and interventions for women and children across the state.
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The donation was made during the 2026 Law Week of FIDA Ekiti, held at the Afe Babalola Hall of the Ekiti State High Court, Ado-Ekiti, with the theme, “Justice in a Changing World: Responding to New Challenges Affecting Women and Children.”
FIDA officials said the bus would support advocacy visits, court appearances, community sensitisation and interventions in cases involving women and children across Ekiti State.
Beyond the donation, Bamidele used the occasion to renew calls for stronger legal protection for women and children, while also pushing for the proposed Special Seats Bill aimed at increasing women’s representation in Nigeria’s legislative institutions.
The Senate Leader, who was the guest speaker at the event, described the protection of women and children as both a constitutional responsibility and an investment in national stability.
He called for stronger legislation, effective enforcement of existing laws and improved institutional accountability in addressing challenges confronting women and children.
Bamidele said the proposed Special Seats Bill was designed to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in Nigeria’s political institutions and ensure greater participation in decisions affecting the country.
According to him, the proposed constitutional amendment would create 37 additional seats in the Senate and 37 additional seats in the House of Representatives, with one seat reserved for women in each state and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as three additional seats in each State House of Assembly.
He explained that the proposed arrangement would not displace existing legislative seats and would run for 16 years, covering four electoral cycles, after which its impact would be reviewed.
Describing the proposal as a historic intervention rather than a partisan project, Bamidele said:
“A democracy that systematically excludes over half of its population from the decision-making tables that determine their future is, at best, a flawed democracy and, at worst, a veiled oligarchy.”
He disclosed that the National Assembly had begun engagements with State Houses of Assembly to secure the constitutionally required concurrence for the proposed amendment through consultations and consensus-building.
Bamidele also commended the advocacy of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, saying the 10th National Assembly was determined to address historical gaps in women’s political representation.
On broader challenges confronting women and children, the Senate Leader said globalisation, artificial intelligence, digitalisation, insecurity, economic instability and climate change had introduced new forms of vulnerability.
He identified gender-based violence, economic exclusion, discrimination and inadequate healthcare as some of the challenges facing women, while children remained vulnerable to sexual abuse, trafficking, child labour, early marriage, malnutrition, educational deprivation and digital exploitation.
According to him, poverty, unemployment, inadequate social protection, educational inequalities, social stigma and weak enforcement of existing laws had worsened the situation.
Bamidele called for a comprehensive approach that would go beyond passing laws to ensuring adequate funding, enforcement, accountability and measurable outcomes.
He also highlighted some legislative interventions by the 10th National Assembly, including the four Tax Reform Acts of 2025, which he said exempted sanitary products, baby diapers and other essential products for women and children from Value Added Tax.
He described the measure as a social justice intervention intended to reduce the financial burden on low-income women and families.
The Senate Leader also disclosed that the National Assembly was considering the National Hospital for Women and Children, Abuja (Amendment) Bill, 2026, aimed at strengthening the institution’s ability to provide specialised healthcare services to women and children.
Bamidele, however, stressed that legislation would only be meaningful if properly implemented, insisting that justice must be accessible, affordable, timely and effective for victims of abuse.
He urged stronger collaboration among the legislature, executive, judiciary, law enforcement agencies, social welfare institutions, religious organisations, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and the private sector.
He also challenged FIDA to deepen its engagement with the National Assembly and other relevant institutions by identifying gaps in existing laws, proposing reforms and monitoring whether government policies and budgetary provisions translated into practical benefits for vulnerable Nigerians.
“The law is only as good as its implementation. Hold us accountable. Demand that the Special Seats Bill becomes law. Demand that appropriations for child protection and women’s health are not just passed, but released and utilised,” Bamidele said.
Earlier, the Chairperson of FIDA Ekiti State Chapter, Ayobami Olowoyo-Richards, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to the promotion, protection and preservation of the rights of women and children.
“The changing realities of our world continue to present new and complex concerns for the safety, dignity, and fundamental rights of women and children, demanding fresh perspectives and more effective responses from all stakeholders,” she said.
She added: “We must continually strengthen our laws, institutions, and collective response to ensure that justice remains accessible, effective, and responsive to their needs.”
Olowoyo-Richards said the Law Week was designed to provide a platform for stakeholders to examine emerging challenges affecting women and children and develop practical solutions.
In her keynote address, the Vice Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Professor Smaranda Olarinde, called for stronger legal and institutional frameworks to protect women and children against emerging forms of abuse, particularly those enabled by technology and economic vulnerabilities.
Olarinde said the growing use of artificial intelligence and digital platforms had created new threats, including cyberstalking, online harassment, deepfake images, impersonation and exploitation of children.
She called for collaboration among government, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, universities, religious and traditional leaders, the media and civil society organisations to tackle gender-based violence and child abuse.
Olarinde also urged FIDA to move beyond advocacy to measurable outcomes, proposing a collaborative Women and Children Access to Justice Action Framework aimed at strengthening legal protection, digital safety and support for survivors.
She said relevant institutions must work together to ensure cases of gender-based violence and child abuse are reported, investigated, prosecuted and followed up with support services for survivors.
The Law Week was attended by the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, who led other judges, as well as politicians, lawyers and traditional rulers.
Also present were the Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Steve Fatoba, and the Onise of Odo-Oro Ekiti, Oba Babatunde Jemileyin.
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