Women’s representation in Nigeria’s federal legislature remains persistently low despite the existence of multiple gender equality policies, advocacy initiatives, and institutional commitments. This article assesses the effectiveness of existing policies and strategies to increase women’s political representation and explores pathways to enhance women’s inclusion in the National Assembly. The study adopts a mixed methods design, drawing on survey data from thirty-five National Assembly staff as well as in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with institutional actors who routinely engage with legislative and committee processes. Quantitative analysis using Spearman correlation reveals that policy awareness and educational attainment are positively associated with perceptions of progress in women’s representation. In contrast, institutional barriers, such as weak enforcement and party-level gatekeeping, significantly undermine perceived policy effectiveness. Qualitative findings corroborate these results, showing that gender policies are widely regarded as well-intentioned but poorly implemented, with voluntary party commitments and unenforced quotas yielding limited outcomes. Mentorship, advocacy, and capacity-building initiatives were identified as more effective but remain fragmented and dependent on external support. Interpreted through Critical Mass and Critical Actors Theory, the findings highlight how low numerical representation and weak institutional frameworks constrain the emergence of actors capable of driving sustained change. The article concludes that enhancing women’s representation in Nigeria’s federal legislature requires enforceable policy frameworks, strengthened party accountability, institutionalised monitoring mechanisms, and sustained support for leadership development.