Traditional rulers have been charged to assume a frontline role in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV), as the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, declared that Nigeria's cultural and community leaders "hold the key" to ending the persistent violence faced by women and girls.
Speaking Tuesday in Abuja during the National Convening of Traditional Leaders on GBV Prevention and Experience Sharing--part of activities marking the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence--the Minister, through her Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Mr. Jonathan Eze, said no national effort to curb GBV can succeed without the full involvement of traditional institutions.
According to her, the growing statistics reflect a crisis demanding urgent cultural intervention, not just legal enforcement. She revealed that one in every three Nigerian women is likely to experience gender-based violence in her lifetime, with 70 percent of cases occurring within the home.
"We honour survivors, we remember the lives lost, and we renew our commitment to a Nigeria where women and girls live without fear," she told an audience of monarchs, elders, cultural custodians, and civil society leaders.
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Sulaiman-Ibrahim highlighted significant national progress such as the domestication of the Child Rights Act across the 36 states and FCT, and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act in 35 states and FCT. She described these laws as powerful tools but warned that legislation alone cannot dismantle deeply rooted cultural norms that fuel violence.
"Laws cannot enforce themselves. They must be reflected in community values and everyday practices--and this is where traditional rulers are indispensable," she said.
The Minister unveiled a major initiative: a National Audit on Women's Inclusion in Traditional Governance. The audit will map how women participate in traditional councils, recognize communities championing inclusion, and identify where reforms are urgently needed.
She further reinforced the growing call for Special Parliamentary Seats for Nigerian women, insisting that political inclusion mirrors the need for women's presence at traditional decision-making tables. "When women participate in leadership, families and communities become stronger and safer," she said.
Tying the GBV response to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that family stability remains at the heart of national development. She referenced several projects already transforming the lives of Nigerian women: the Women Agro-Value Expansion (WAVE) programme targeting 10 million women, the Solar Home Lighting Programme targeting 500,000 women, and the national shift to Clean Cooking which safeguards around 98,000 women and children annually.
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"These interventions must reach the most vulnerable women," she said, promising deeper collaboration with traditional rulers to ensure grassroots impact.
The Minister also emphasized the importance of traditional institutions in the soon-to-be-launched 3rd National Action Plan (NAP III) on UNSCR 1325, noting that royal fathers often detect early warning signs of conflict--family disputes, harmful practices, youth restiveness--before they escalate.
"You are the moral compass of our nation and the first line of defence for the vulnerable. Nigeria cannot defeat gender-based violence without you," she said.
She urged royal fathers to take GBV campaigns back to their palaces, council meetings and cultural gatherings to entrench a national culture of zero tolerance.
As the country joins the global 16 Days of Activism, Sulaiman-Ibrahim expressed hope that the Abuja convening would spark sustained action across all communities. She prayed for a Nigeria "where culture protects, leadership uplifts, and every woman and girl can live free from violence."
Traditional leaders from kingdoms, emirates, chiefdoms, stools and councils nationwide attended the gathering, sharing experiences for building safer and more inclusive communities.
