The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has renewed calls for the full and effective implementation of Nigeria’s National Gender Policy (NGP), describing it as critical to sustainable peace, security, and national development.
Director-General of IPCR, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, made the call in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at the Fourth Quarter Policy Review Dialogue of the Network of Policymakers and Religious Leaders to Support Peace, Security and Reconciliation in Nigeria (NPMRL). The dialogue was held in collaboration with the International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID).
Speaking on the theme, “Reviewing and Enhancing the Implementation of the National Gender Policy in Nigeria,” Dr Ochogwu said Nigeria’s peace and security challenges require inclusive governance that recognises the central role of women in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and reconciliation.
He noted that while violent conflicts such as insurgency, banditry, farmer–herder clashes, and separatist agitations affect entire communities, women and girls bear a disproportionate burden through displacement, sexual and gender-based violence, loss of livelihoods, and exclusion from decision-making processes.
“Women are not merely victims of conflict; they are indispensable agents of peace. Any peace architecture that ignores their voices is incomplete and unsustainable,” he stated.
Dr Ochogwu explained that although Nigeria has a robust National Gender Policy framework, the major challenge lies in implementation across federal, state, and local levels. He stressed that policies must translate into lived realities through coordinated action, adequate funding, monitoring, and accountability.
He described the Policy Review Dialogue as a platform designed to move stakeholders from intention to action by identifying barriers to implementation and repositioning women as central actors in peacebuilding and community resilience.
Highlighting the importance of collaboration, the IPCR boss said policymakers and religious leaders must work together to challenge harmful norms, promote inclusion, and ensure ownership of gender policies at the grassroots level.
Dr Ochogwu also aligned the dialogue with the Federal Government’s policy direction under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the recent launch of Nigeria’s Third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAP III), which reinforces commitments to women’s participation in peace and security processes.
“Our task is to ensure that these commitments move beyond documents to concrete outcomes that strengthen national stability and social cohesion,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, UN Women Representative Mr Peter Mancho stressed the urgent need to improve women’s representation and implementation of gender-responsive policies in Nigeria.
He lamented Nigeria’s low level of women’s political participation, noting that women constitute about 60 per cent of the population but hold less than five per cent of elective positions nationwide, with some states having no female representation at all.
Mr Mancho outlined UN Women’s key focus areas, including women’s political participation, economic empowerment, ending violence against women and girls, and advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda. He raised concerns about poor awareness and enforcement of existing laws such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, especially at the grassroots level.
He also highlighted emerging challenges such as digital violence against women and girls, and called for stronger mechanisms to localise policies and ensure access to justice for survivors.
According to him, Nigeria’s Third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security represents a best practice globally, as it enjoys high-level political ownership, budgetary commitments, and endorsement from security institutions.
“Policy frameworks are only a means to an end. The real success lies in implementation, monitoring, and periodic review to close gaps and adjust strategies,” he said.
The dialogue ended with a call for clear recommendations, stronger coordination, and sustained commitment from all stakeholders to ensure that gender policies contribute meaningfully to peace, security, and development in Nigeria.