NHRC Announces Programmes for 16 Days of Activism on GBV

By: Michael Mike

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has announced its plans for the 2025 International 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

The activities which commences on Monday, showed a sweeping nationwide plan and a renewed call for stronger protections for women and girls, as the Commission also marks its 30th anniversary.

Addressing journalists at a press briefing in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu said the anniversary provided an important moment to reflect on three decades of work advancing justice, dignity, and equality in Nigeria — while acknowledging that gender-based violence (GBV) remains one of the gravest human rights violations confronting the country.

He said: “For 30 years, the Commission has remained a steadfast voice for accountability and human rights. This year’s campaign gives us the opportunity not only to reflect on our journey but to intensify the fight against all forms of violence, especially against women and girls.”

The 16 Days of Activism — observed annually from November 25 to December 10 — is part of a global movement launched in 1991 by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership. It links the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women with Human Rights Day, symbolizing that violence against women is a direct violation of human rights.

Ojukwu noted that Nigeria remains committed to this global call.

He said: “Gender-based violence is unacceptable in every form. These 16 days remind us that survivors must be heard, supported, and protected.”

This year’s programme, one of the NHRC’s most extensive yet, includes coordinated activities across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

According to Ojukwu, the activities are designed to strengthen prevention, improve accountability, and reinforce protection structures nationwide.

Marking its 30-year milestone, the NHRC urged the National Assembly to pass legislation creating special constituencies for women — a long-standing proposal aimed at improving female representation in public office.

“Denying affirmative action is itself a form of violence against women,” the Commission emphasized. “Empowerment must include political participation.”

The Commission also highlighted multiple empowerment programmes conducted in partnership with local and international organisations. These include:Support for over 60 survivors of sexual and gender-based violence under the EU/UNDP Spotlight Initiative; Financial grants for vulnerable women in collaboration with the Taipei Trade Office; Economic empowerment for more than 100 indigent women through the Thelma Lion Foundation; Distribution of sewing machines, grinding machines, and hair dryers to over 300 women through partnerships with National Assembly members; Ongoing collaboration with the Dorothy Njemanze Foundation to support SGBV survivors.

Ojukwu said: “These interventions are meant to strengthen the socio-economic resilience of women and reduce vulnerabilities.”

He reassured Nigerians that the commission will continue to carry out its mandate with fairness and impartiality.

He said: “We will not allow gender-based violence or any human rights violation to go unaddressed. Every complaint matters, and every perpetrator must be held accountable.”

As the 16-day campaign begins, Ojukwu called on government institutions, traditional and religious leaders, civil society groups, the private sector, and individuals to join in the fight to end violence against women.

“Awareness is not enough,”Ojukwu said. “We must turn commitments into action and build a Nigeria where women and girls can live free from fear, discrimination, and harmful practices.”

NHRC Announces Programmes for 16 Days of Activism on GBV

IPCR: Livestock Sector Now Sits at the Heart of Nigeria’s Ecosystem

By: Michael Mike

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has said the livestock sector now sits “at the heart of Nigeria’s conflict ecosystem,” influencing local economies, intergroup relations, and national security.

While Nigeria has produced multiple livestock policies over the years, speakers at the Policy Review Meeting of the Network of Policy Makers for the Support of Peace, Security and Reconciliation in Nigeria organized by IPCR in partnership with King Abdullah Bin Abdullaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), agreed that the country’s biggest challenge is not policy creation but policy implementation.

The Executive Secretary of IPCR, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu said: “Policies exist, but they often die before they leave the shelf,” echoing past criticisms that Nigeria has become a “graveyard of unimplemented policies.”

He warned that the farmer–herder conflict has evolved into a complex risk system shaped by climate pressures, land scarcity, population growth, trans-border migration, and weak governance structures. Without coordinated action, these pressures threaten to overwhelm already stretched local and national institutions.

He stressed that the success of livestock reforms will depend on effective coordination between federal ministries, state governments, local authorities, and community actors.

He said: “When institutions operate in silos, conflict fills the gap. But when federal, state, and local structures move in alignment, policy becomes a stabilizing tool.”

He described traditional rulers, pastoralist associations, farmers’ groups, and religious leaders as “indispensable partners” in the process rather than observers brought in after decisions are made.

The session also addressed growing concerns around communal violence and allegations of targeted attacks against specific religious groups. Recent claims suggesting that Christians are being systematically exterminated in Nigeria have gained international attention.

Ochogwu acknowledged the emotional weight of such claims but cautioned against narratives not grounded in verified evidence.

“Nigeria’s security challenges stem from terrorism, banditry, resource competition, and historical grievances,” he said, while adding that: “These problems affect all groups, and they require collective solutions—not divisive interpretations.”

He emphasized that Nigeria must not allow any trajectory that resembles genocide or the destruction of any community, calling for stronger early-warning systems, improved regulation of pastoral mobility, and policies that prevent local tensions from escalating into large-scale atrocities.

Participants agreed that the partnership between policymakers and faith leaders is central to preventing violence. Religious institutions, they noted, have moral authority and grassroots influence that government structures often lack, particularly in rural communities most affected by the conflict.

“This network exists because peace is not a government-only project,” the convener said. “It must be built through a multi-layered alliance of policymakers, traditional institutions, and religious leaders.”

Ochogwu highlighted four areas requiring urgent action: Strengthening vertical and horizontal coordination across federal, state, and community levels; Embedding conflict-sensitive practices into all livestock policy implementation; Ensuring inclusive engagement involving farmers, pastoralists, women, youth, and local institutions and Institutionalizing evidence-based monitoring systems that track conflict hotspots and pastoral mobility using real-time data.

IPCR reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Federal Government through conflict analysis, policy advisory services, mediation, and early-warning mechanisms. Its partnerships with KAICIID and other international bodies, it said, are aimed at ensuring that the outcomes of these dialogues translate into tangible impact at the community level.

Participants agreed that Nigeria stands at a critical moment. Transforming livestock policy into practical action, they said, is not only a matter of agricultural reform—it is a prerequisite for national stability.

Ochogwu said: “Moving from intention to impact is the only path to sustainable peace,” note”ing that: “Strengthening coordination in the livestock sector is ultimately strengthening Nigeria itself.”

Policymakers, diplomats, and leading clerics convened in Abuja on Friday for the Second Quarter Policy Review Dialogue of the Network of Policymakers and Religious Leaders, with a renewed push to transform Nigeria’s long-standing livestock policy from paper commitments into real, coordinated action.

The meeting, held at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) headquarters, focused on the theme “From Policy to Practice: Strengthening Coordination and Implementation of Nigeria’s Livestock Policy.” It brought together government officials, faith leaders, security experts and community representatives who described the dialogue as a crucial step in tackling the persistent farmer–herder crisis and its broader security implications.

IPCR: Livestock Sector Now Sits at the Heart of Nigeria’s Ecosystem

VP Shettima Departs Abuja To Represent President Tinubu At G20 Leaders’ Summit In South Africa

By: Our Reporter

Following the decision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to stay back in Nigeria and attend to security concerns in the country, Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja to represent the President at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa @g20org.

President Tinubu had postponed his earlier scheduled trip to Johannesburg, South Africa to await further security briefings on the recent security incidents in Kebbi and Kwara States.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, the South African leader who also serves as the current President of the G20 group had invited his Nigerian counterpart to participate in this year’s edition.

The Summit, scheduled to take place from Saturday, November 22nd, to Sunday, November 23rd, at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, brings together leaders from the world’s top 20 economies, including the European Union, the African Union, financial institutions, among others.

The Vice President will return to Nigeria at the end of the engagements.

VP Shettima Departs Abuja To Represent President Tinubu At G20 Leaders’ Summit In South Africa