Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, the Director-General, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), has recommended involvement of the legislature
By EricJames Ochigbo
Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, the Director-General, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), has recommended involvement of the legislature in the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS).
Sulaiman gave the recommendation on Monday at the opening of a two-day retreat for members of Adamawa House of Assembly in Abuja.
The retreat, organised by NILDS in collaboration with the UN-Women and the governments of Germany and Canada, was with the theme: “Roles of Legislators in Supporting the Implementation of State Action Plans (SAPs) on Women Peace and Security (WPS)”
The director-general recalled that 24 years ago, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1325 (2000) on WPS.
He said that the resolution was the first UN resolution to recognise the central role of women as change agents in contributing to international peace and security.
Sulaiman said that the resolution underscored the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement in an effort to maintain and promote peace and security.
He said that Nigeria had domesticated the resolution through the development of a national-level strategy, known as National Action Plan (NAP).
The director-general said that the country rolled out its first and second NAPs for 2013-2017 and 2017-2020 respectively.
According to him, NAP has been further localised through the development of State Action Plans (SAPs) in 16 states and Local Action Plans (LAPs) and Ward Action Plans (WAPs).
“However, despite the best intentions and efforts, commitments are yet to be fulfilled.
“One of the reasons for this is the fact that legislators have not been carried along in the implementation of the NAPs/SAPs on WPS agenda.
“Indeed, the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly are uniquely positioned to promote peace, gender equality and women’s empowerment by virtue of their tripartite functions of law-making, oversight and representation.
“The role of the Nigerian legislature in the successful implementation of the women, peace and security agenda is, therefore, tied to its constitutional mandate and as such, should be given adequate attention,” he said.
Sulaiman said through its appropriation and budget-approving powers, the legislature could ensure that sufficient resources were committed to WPS issues and that monies so appropriated were not only disbursed in a timely fashion, but also spent according to the wishes of the parliament.
In his remarks, Deputy Speaker of Adamawa assembly, Mr Mohammed Jijiwa, said that the retreat offered a unique opportunity for the lawmakers to engage in meaningful discussions and share experiences.
He said that it was an opportunity to explore innovative solutions on how to effectively discharge their responsibilities as legislators in the implementation of the action plan on women in Adamawa.
“We will delve into critical issues, such adoption of plans on women in peace and security, gender-based violence, economic empowerment and women’s participation in governance peace and security.
“As leaders, it is our responsibilities to create an enabling environment that fosters peace, security and inclusivity for all citizens, particularly women.
“Through this retreat, we aim to strengthen our collective commitment to promoting women’s rights, peace and security in Adamawa,” he said.
Earlier, the Programme Manager, UN-Women, Mr Peter Mancha, said that gender had become a very critical aspect of every development, as no meaningful development could be achieved without integrating it.
According to him, even though gender is on number five in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), none can be achieved without gender mainstream.
Mancha said that addressing the menace of poverty or out-of-school children won’t be possible without the involvement of women and girls who constitute bulk of the poor.
He said that for women to be meaningfully productive in every sector, they needed to be economically empowered.
Mancha said that Nigeria ranked low when in terms of women involvement in politics and in decision-making processes.
He stressed the need for emulating countries like Rwanda, South Africa and Kenya, among others. (NAN)
