A non-governmental organisation, Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) Nigeria, has called on the Nigerian Government to act urgently in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 4 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended), and Sections 20 and 21 of the African Union Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), in furtherance of the protections enshrined in the domesticated African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to safeguard Nigerian widows.
In a press release commemorating the 2025 International Day for Widows, signed by Senior Programmes Officer Habiba Ahmed, WRAPA urged for immediate and coordinated action to address the deepening vulnerabilities faced by widows across the country.
While noting that Nigeria is home to over 8 million widows, whose plight remains largely invisible, WRAPA highlighted the growing poverty and rising displacement caused by insecurity, stating that urgent protection is not just necessary but long overdue.
WRAPA is, therefore, calling on the Federal and State Governments, traditional and faith leaders, and the private sector to prioritise targeted interventions for widows’ rights and livelihood support. These include enacting and enforcing laws that protect widows’ access to housing, inheritance, and justice; integrating widows into national social protection systems; abolishing harmful cultural practices; and investing in sustainable economic empowerment initiatives.
The press statement further reads:
“This year’s theme, ‘Widows’ Rights are Human Rights: Empowerment Through Justice and Inclusion,’ resonates powerfully with the lived experiences of millions of Nigerian women left behind by conflict, displacement, and systemic neglect. From the communities of Borno to Zamfara, Benue to Niger, Bayelsa to Enugu, widows are being created daily by rising insecurity, insurgency, and health emergencies.
“However, beyond the pain of bereavement lies a more painful truth: widowhood in Nigeria is often a sentence to homelessness, dispossession, sexual violence, economic exclusion, and social stigma. Many are evicted from their homes, denied inheritance, harassed by landlords, or forced to endure degrading traditional rites — all while struggling to care for their children.”
One such intervention is the WRAPA 2024 Mustard Seed Widows Shelter Project, implemented in partnership with real estate development firm, Modern Shelter Systems & Services Ltd. The initiative provided ₦100,000 in rent support to 106 vulnerable widows across six northern states and the FCT.
The project protected widows from eviction and abuse, gave them space to rebuild their lives, and engaged local leaders to shift cultural attitudes toward widowhood. Many beneficiaries were able to stabilise their small businesses, return their children to school, and regain a sense of dignity. The 2025 intervention will target another six southern states and the FCT.
“This model shows what can be achieved when policy and resources are intentionally allocated to address vulnerabilities. WRAPA urges governments and development partners to expand interventions to support widows as part of a sustainable framework. A single act of charity is not enough; widows need a system that protects and empowers them.
“A widow’s grief should not lead to further forms of pain and loss. Prevalent acts of marginalisation, deprivation, and injustice should be eliminated and replaced by natural justice, equity, and good conscience — as fundamental rights, not privileges. After all, widowhood is neither sought nor invited. It is a divine and inevitable phase of life where, at some point, we all answer a call to the beyond.
“On the occasion of the 2025 International Widows’ Day, widows need justice and care embedded in defined policy and practice — not short-lived or selective acts of sympathy. Their dignity, livelihood, and duty of care must be protected and supported by families, formal and informal institutions, and communities.”
WRAPA is a rights-based NGO committed to advancing the recognition, respect, and enjoyment of women’s rights as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, religious and cultural laws, and international laws and treaties to which Nigeria is a signatory.