By Maryanne Awuya
As part of efforts to address the impact of insecurity on women and promote inclusive peacebuilding, the Federal Government has launched Nigeria’s Third National Action Plan (NAP III) on the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
The NAP III (2024–2028) was inaugurated in Abuja by the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, and is being implemented through the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
Mrs. Tinubu, represented by the wife of the Deputy Senate President, Laila Barau, said about 25 years ago, through the UNSCR 1325, the global community recognised that women should not remain on the sidelines, but be active participants in shaping peace and security.
“Nigeria embraced this vision with the launch of our first and second national action plans.
“Today, guided by the Renewed Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which prioritises inclusion, stability, and collective progress, we step forward with our third national action plan,” said the first lady.
She noted that while progress has been recorded since Nigeria adopted previous action plans, women and girls in conflict-affected communities continue to face serious challenges, stressing the need to keep the women, peace and security agenda central to national priorities.
“While we acknowledge the progress made, we must not overlook the reality still faced by women and girls in communities affected by insecurity.
“In these challenging times, Nigerian women continue to demonstrate extraordinary strength, mediating in conflicts, rebuilding communities, and caring for their families.”
She urged state governments to ensure effective implementation of the plan and called on security agencies to strengthen gender-sensitive reforms.
She also appealed to traditional and religious leaders to use their influence to protect women and children.
In her remarks, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said Nigeria first domesticated NAP in 2013, with a second action plan launched in 2017 to consolidate early gains.
She said:“Today’s launch of the NAP III approved by President Bola Tinubu, aligns these national efforts with contemporary global realities and firmly anchors them with the renewed hope agenda.
“This places women, children, families and our vulnerable groups at the centre of national stability, inclusive governance and sustainable peace.”
Sulaiman-Ibrahim announced the inauguration of a National Technical Working Committee on Women, Peace and Security to oversee implementation, coordination, monitoring and accountability of NAP III nationwide.
She added that the action plan would be localised across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory through the Social Impact Intervention 774 initiative to ensure grassroots participation.
The minister hailed the wife of the president and acknowledged the support of the National Assembly, UN Women, the Governments of Norway and Germany, and the Tetra Tech SPRiNG Programme in the development of the plan.
“May it plant justice where exclusion once stood, and light a steady path where peace is built, not by force alone, but by inclusion, by wisdom, and shared collective purpose.
“Together, let us carry forward a Nigeria where women and men work side by side, guarding peace, shaping security, and writing a future worthy of our nation’s promise. Indeed, the work we do today will ensure that we hand on to our children a banner with our state,” she said.
Explaining the framework of NAP III, the Programme Manager for Women, Peace and Security at UN Women, Peter Mancha, said the plan is built on five pillars: prevention and disaster preparedness; participation and representation; protection and prosecution; crisis management, early recovery and post-conflict reconstruction; and partnership, coordination and management.
Mancha said the third action plan was developed to address challenges identified in the earlier plans, including limited awareness, weak political commitment, funding gaps and coordination problems, among others.
He explained that, based on the challenges, the Government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs adopted a multi-sectoral approach to develop a core national action plan to address all the challenges.
He said the good thing with the development of the NAP III was that it aligned with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to him, NAP III adopts a multi-sectoral and participatory approach involving all six geopolitical zones and has received endorsements from key institutions, including the National Assembly and heads of security agencies, signalling stronger ownership and commitment to implementation.
“It used a participatory approach involving all six geopolitical zones; it is people-driven, it engaged legislators, which was not so in the first and second NAPs.”
He added that the unique thing about NAP III was its endorsement by the President, the National Assembly, the Head of security institutions, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, among others.
“This shows us that this time around, we will see a shift in terms of ownership and strong commitment to ensure that the second objective of the third national action plan is not just fully achieved but is owned by the government and people of Nigeria.”
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