Friday, 27 June 2025

NIGERIA: DOMESTICATION OF THE MAPUTO PROTOCOL

 On the 26th of June 2025, a 'Stakeholders' meeting on domesticating the Maputo Protocol in Nigeria' was convened by 'BAOBAB for Women's Human Rights'. The theme of the parley was 'Paving the way for women's rights & political power in Nigeria'. The Executive Director, BAOBAB, Yeye Olubunmi Dipo-Salami facilitated the engaging meeting held at Novare Mall Hall 2, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja 

L-R: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa (Representative, Women Affairs Secretariat - WAS Abuja) & Yeye Bunmi Dipo-Salami (ED BAOBAB)

Some of the objectives of the meeting are:

* To move the needle on the domestication of the Maputo Protocol (MP)
* To assess effort and progress towards the domestication of the MP in Nigeria
* To engage strategic actors, raise awareness and foster dialogue on the relevance and urgency of domesticating the MP
* To present female politicians who recently completed a twelve week mentorship programme
* Identify practical strategies and entry points for transformative advocacy to speed up the demestication process

The meeting began with an overview of the agenda, workshop objectives and participants' expectations. My expectation:

* Participants emerge from the meeting with a firm resolve to stop working in silos
* Gain more insight about what the Women Affairs Secretariat (WAS) could do in addition to her current effort to accelerate the process of domesticating the MP
* More strategies to create awareness about the MP

Four government Agencies were represented:

* Office of the Senator representing the FCT in the Upper House - Sen. Ireti Kingibe (Represented by Mrs. Mweuese Anande) 
* Women Affairs Secretariat (WAS) Mandate Secretary, Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi (Represented by Dr. Dayo Kusa)
* National Institute for Legislative & Democratic Studies (NILDS) DG Prof. Abubakar Suleiman (Represented online by Dr. Emily Ihide)
* The National Assembly (NASS) represented

I noted that the DG of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman is a gender sensitive CEO and male champion for women's rights who I have encountered on many occasions. The inroad for the MP into the NASS could be the 'Special Seats Bill' now before members and the Gender Technical Unit (GTU). WAS has been working in many areas in consonance with the provisions of the MP, without specifically linking same to it.

I informed participants that some of the areas where WAS could buy into the advocacy are:

* Working with the wives of traditional leaders in the six Area Councils of the FCT. The forum is coordinated by the wife of the Ona of Abaji. WAS also penetrates the grassroots through the Women Development Officers (WDOs) in the six Area Councils for women's empowerment, etc.

* The Accelerators' Programme for the training of 40+ young ladies in life skills in order to accelerate the process towards gender equity and eventual equality. This is in collaboration with UN Women, Abuja

* The yearly celebration of 16 Days' Activism Against Gender Based Violence (GBV)

* WAS has been identified by the World Bank as the hub/platform for the actualisation and implemantation of the contents of the Disability Act in the FCT. Furthermore, it's worthy of note that the Disability Unit is situated in the Mandate Secretary's Office. A three-day program on the Disability Act, sponsored by the World Bank was held last month.

* WAS shall soon publish her own simplified version of the VAPP Act and Child Rights Act.

The government agencies, and indeed NGOs were admonished to indentify specific aspects of their work that could significantly contribute to the domestication of the MP effectively in practice. A major outcome of the meeting was the resolve to revitalise the existing coalition for the MP in Nigeria - CODMAP. WAS and other agencies were admitted into the ad hoc Steering Committee for the effective domestication of the MP. The representative of WRAPA (Women's Rights Advancement & Protection Alternative) informed us that a simplified version of the MP has been published by their organisation.

Then the selected female politicians from the six Area Councils of the FCT who had been trained for 12 weeks under the auspices of BAOBAB were unveiled. One of their mentors/trainers, Hon. Bunmi Adelugba, first female Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly was present at the meeting. She recounted her experiences during the mentorship programme. The mentees also put on record their challenges, gains and hope for the future.

L-R: Hon. Bunmi Adelugba (First female Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly & one of the mentors for the young female politicians in the FCT during the twelve week programme) & Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa

On the whole, the parley achieved its aims. A steering committee was set up to accelerate the process. There is buy-in from both government agencies and CSOs. There's commitment to re-vitalise the existing coalition for the effective domestication of the MP. Let's keep the momentum towards making the MP a household concept via ensuring the MP is effectively understood and disseminated in the FCT and indeed Nigeria...



   


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