 The Senate has passed the Gender and Equality Opportunity Bill, which seeks to further implement Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1999, as amended, another matters which seeks to provide certain provision for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women in Africa. The bill was sponsored by a Senate Senator, Bjorn Ulujimi of Iquiti State in the Iquiti South and was read for the first time on Tuesday, the 26th of November in 2019. In her presentation, Senator Ulujimi emphasised the importance of the bill. Mr President, the bill is known by its short title, the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill, 2023. The bill seeks to further implement Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1999 and other matters connected therewith. It also seeks to provide certain provisions on convention for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, SIDO, and protocol of the African Charter on Human and People's Rights, on the rights of women in Africa and other matters connected therewith. The bill was read for the first time on Tuesday, the 26th of November 2019. This bill will provide a legal basis and foundation for realisation of the goal of Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended. Similarly, it will allow for the domestication of the convention for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, SIDO, as well as the protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights, on the rights of women in Africa. The bill will provide a legal basis and foundation upon which there will be a formal, structured and institutional response to prevent discrimination and provide for the rights of men and women and equality of all persons and opportunities availed to all citizens, including people living with disability in Nigeria. After the bill passed through debates by lawmakers which led to a change in the name of the bill from gender equality bill to gender and equitable opportunity, bill 2023 SB 208. The bill was then passed for second reading by the Senate. The bill for an act to make provisions for the empowerment of women and equitable gender equality, to establish a legislative framework for the empowerment of women, to align all aspects of laws and implementations of laws relating to women empowerment and the appointment and representation of women in decision-making positions and structures and to provide for matters connected there with 2023. Second reading taken. This bill is referred to the Committee of Judiciary and Human Rights to report back in one week.