The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Benjamin Kalu, received a delegation led by Christina Scott, DG Network UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), alongside the newly appointed British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Pete Vowels, and other officials, on a working visit to the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Speaker, while explaining the focal point of their discussion during the visit, said that their discussions focused on the ongoing constitutional review process, particularly the state police and the Reserved Seats Bill for women, preparations for the forthcoming elections, and the implementation of the new Electoral Act.
Recall that the House of Representatives on Wednesday, 10 June 2026, passed a bill seeking to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), to provide for the establishment of State Police.
In the House of Representatives, the bill was considered on the report of the Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
The bill seeks to move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List of the Constitution, a change that would empower state governments to establish, fund, and operate their own police forces alongside the Nigeria Police Force, which is currently the sole, centrally controlled police institution under the Federal Government.
On its own, the “Reserved Seats for Women Bill, is an initiative designed to improve women’s representation in Nigeria’s National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.
In the Nigerian National Assembly, women hold just a marginal percentage of seats, far below the 35% gender parity target set by international standards.
With women making up half of the country’s population, their representation in elected offices is currently a mere 4.43%.
The Deputy Speaker sometime in 2025 stated that the bill seeking to create reserved seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly is not an act of tokenism but a move to ensure fair representation of women in the nation’s governance architecture.
He added back then that the Reserved Seats Bill, HB 1349, sponsored by him and some members of the House, is a legislative effort that seeks to carve out a dedicated space for women in Nigeria’s governance structures.
Speaking further on the visit of the British diplomats, the Deputy Speaker said, “We appreciate the UK FCDO’s continued commitment to supporting Nigeria’s democratic and economic reforms.
“We look forward to sustaining this partnership to strengthen democratic institutions, promote good governance and advance national development.”
