The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has raised concerns over the inadequate number of sexual assault referral centres in Nigeria, disclosing that only 52 facilities currently serve a population of more than 200 million people.
She called for increased investment in survivor-support services, stronger protection mechanisms and greater participation of women in peace and security processes to address the impact of insecurity and gender-based violence across the country.
The minister spoke at an event marking the 26th anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, where government officials, security personnel and development partners called for stronger action to protect women and girls affected by conflict.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim said women and girls continued to bear the consequences of insurgency in the North-East, banditry and kidnapping in the North-West, and communal conflicts in the Middle Belt, resulting in displacement, sexual violence, loss of livelihoods and disrupted education.
“Let me be honest about the gaps. Nigeria has 52 sexual assault referral centres serving over 200 million people. That is not enough, and we are working to add more,” she said.
She stressed that expanding the centres was essential to ensuring that survivors of sexual violence could access timely medical attention, psychosocial support and other essential services.
“Survivors should not have to travel long distances or face unnecessary barriers before receiving the help they need. We must strengthen our response systems and make support accessible to women and girls wherever they live,” she said.
The minister said the Federal Government was implementing the Third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security to strengthen women’s participation in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and decision-making.
She noted that the plan, launched by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu in December 2025, was designed to ensure that women were not merely regarded as victims of conflict but recognised as active contributors to peace and national development.
According to her, the plan would help address the challenges confronting women in conflict-affected communities while promoting their inclusion in decisions affecting their safety and future.
“Women must be part of the conversations, the decisions and the processes that determine the peace and security of their communities. Their experiences and perspectives are essential to finding lasting solutions,” she said.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim said the Federal Executive Council had also approved three national instruments: the National Action Plan on Ending Violence Against Children, the National Policy on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management, 2026–2030, and the National Care Policy and Implementation Plan, 2026–2030.
She said the initiatives would strengthen child protection, improve access to menstrual health products and recognise unpaid care work while creating opportunities within the care economy.
The minister added that the government was updating the Child Rights Act 2003 to address emerging threats, including technology-facilitated violence, while strengthening the implementation of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015.
She called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, security institutions, civil society organisations and development partners to ensure that the policies translated into tangible improvements.
“Policies must not remain documents on paper. We must be able to point to safer communities, improved access to justice and better support for survivors as evidence that our commitments are making a difference,” she said.
She also urged the media to hold government institutions accountable for implementing policies designed to protect women and girls, stressing that commitments must translate into measurable improvements in their lives.
Also speaking, Peter Macha of UN Women called for the meaningful inclusion of women in peacebuilding and conflict-resolution processes, warning that sustainable peace could not be achieved when women were excluded from decision-making.
“Peace can only be sustainable when women are fully involved, meaningfully involved,” he said.
Macha said Nigeria had made progress through the adoption of its National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security but stressed the need for effective implementation at national, state and community levels.
“Having a national action plan is an important step, but the real impact comes when its provisions are implemented in communities and women begin to experience the benefits in their everyday lives,” he said.
He noted that more than 100 countries had developed national action plans to integrate women’s concerns into peace and security frameworks, describing the initiative as an important mechanism for advancing women’s participation in conflict prevention, resolution and recovery.
“Today we have over 100 countries globally that have developed National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security, and Nigeria is one of these countries. This is a great achievement,” he said.
According to him, the adoption of Resolution 1325 in 2000 represented an important shift in the global understanding of women’s roles in peace and security.
“Resolution 1325 emphasised that we should begin to see women as individuals that have potential to contribute to peace and security,” he said.
Macha said women were frequently viewed primarily as victims of violence despite their capacity to contribute to peacebuilding and community reconciliation.
He called for deliberate efforts to remove cultural and institutional barriers that prevent women from participating in traditional leadership structures and community-level conflict resolution.
“What does that tell us? It tells us that discriminatory cultural practices can change,” he said, citing the appointment of women to traditional councils in Gombe and Plateau states as examples of progress.
He said more than 200 women had been appointed to traditional councils in Gombe State, while Plateau State had appointed about 170 women, demonstrating the potential for greater female representation in community decision-making.
“Culture is dynamic and it changes over time. We need to start bringing women in to achieve the desired change that our country deserves,” he said.
Macha commended the Federal Government for its commitment to the Third National Action Plan, adding that sustained support from political leaders, the National Assembly and security chiefs would be critical to achieving its objectives.
He urged relevant institutions to ensure that women were represented not only in discussions about peace and security but also in the implementation and monitoring of decisions.
In her remarks, Lieutenant Colonel Nneka Olimma-Adinweruka called for stronger accountability, increased representation of women in security leadership and sustained investment in gender-responsive reforms.
She said female military personnel had continued to contribute to national defence through operational assignments, medical services, intelligence and peacekeeping missions, but faced challenges associated with gender-based violence, sociocultural barriers and limited representation in decision-making.
Olimma-Adinweruka said the contributions of women in the military and other security institutions should be matched with opportunities for professional development and advancement.
“Women have demonstrated their capacity to contribute meaningfully to national security. It is important that their skills, experience and dedication are recognised and supported through equal opportunities for growth and leadership,” she said.
She called for improved professional development, mentorship and fair career progression for women in the military and other security institutions.
According to her, creating an inclusive security environment requires institutions to address barriers that limit women’s advancement while ensuring that personnel are treated with dignity and fairness.
“Gender-responsive security is not simply about increasing the number of women in uniform. It is also about creating an environment where women can contribute effectively, develop professionally and participate in decision-making,” she said.
She also advocated stronger collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations and development partners to address the barriers limiting women’s participation in peace and security.
“The true measure of our success will not be the number of policies adopted or conferences organised, but the tangible improvements recorded in the safety, dignity, representation and well-being of women and girls,” she said.
Olimma-Adinweruka urged security institutions to strengthen accountability mechanisms and ensure that commitments to women’s participation were reflected in institutional practices and operational decisions.
Representing the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Aisha Abubakar Baju, Assistant Commissioner of Police Zainab Bello Tifi Santuraki reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to strengthening its response to sexual and gender-based violence.
She said the force was expanding the role of gender desk officers across states and police divisions to ensure that cases involving women and girls were handled by trained personnel.
“We have gender desk officers based on this effort all over the states now. Madam has pushed it down to the divisions,” she said.
Santuraki said taking gender-responsive policing closer to communities would make it easier for survivors to report incidents and seek assistance.
“Having gender desk officers at the divisional level is important because people need to know where to go when they experience violence. Survivors must be able to approach the police and receive the necessary attention and support,” she said.
She identified the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, gender-responsive policing, increased female participation in police leadership, stronger community partnerships and improved accountability as key priorities.
The police representative stressed that addressing sexual and gender-based violence required cooperation between law enforcement agencies, families, schools, community leaders and other relevant institutions.
She also recounted the experience of a girl whose education was threatened by family and cultural pressures, explaining that providing access to schooling could transform her outlook and influence the decisions she would make for her own children.
“She has seen something that she cannot unsee again. She has seen the light. She’s never going to go back to the darkness,” Santuraki said.
She said the experience demonstrated how access to education could empower girls to make informed decisions about their lives and challenge practices that limit their opportunities.
Santuraki called for sustained efforts to protect girls from harmful practices and ensure that survivors of violence received the support required to rebuild their lives.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, adopted on October 31, 2000, calls for women’s meaningful participation in conflict prevention, peace negotiations and post-conflict recovery, alongside stronger protection against conflict-related violence.
The resolution established an international framework recognising women not only as victims of conflict but also as essential participants in building and sustaining peace.