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By Correspondent in Minna.
No fewer than 700 detainees across Niger State have benefitted from free legal services under a justice reform initiative driven by the State Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (SAP-WPS), in a move widely seen as a turning point for access to justice and human rights protection.
The intervention, spearheaded by the Niger State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in collaboration with Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), was highlighted at the official close-out ceremony and formal launch of the SAP-WPS framework.
The Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, Mrs. Kemi Okenyodo, said in Minna the initiative had significantly reduced unlawful detention, noting that the justice system was witnessing a shift toward accountability and respect for rights.
“As at today, detainees are rarely held beyond 48 hours without a court order, a testament to real behavioural change in our justice system,” she said.
Okenyodo disclosed that 14 trained lawyers were deployed across seven police divisions in Minna, providing legal assistance to over 700 indigent detainees.
“These lawyers have ensured that no one is held unlawfully,” she added, underscoring the programme’s impact on vulnerable citizens who would otherwise lack access to legal representation.
Beyond justice sector reforms, the newly launched SAP-WPS document is expected to serve as a comprehensive policy framework for advancing women’s inclusion in peacebuilding and security governance across the state.
According to Okenyodo, the plan was developed through extensive consultations, involving more than 100 stakeholders drawn from all 25 local government areas of the state.
“I stand before you today to reflect on a journey that began with a simple yet powerful vision: that the women of Niger State be included in peace and security conversations—not only to be heard, but to lead,” she said.
She stressed that sustainable peace must be community-driven, insisting that justice should never be the preserve of a privileged few.
“Justice should not be a privilege for the few but a right accessible to all. Peace, to be sustainable, must be built from the ground up by the communities who know its absence most intimately,” she added.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Hadiza Idris Kuta, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Hajiya Hadiza Shiru, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to inclusive governance.
The Commissioner noted that women’s participation in leadership and decision-making remained critical to balanced development, pointing out that the state had ensured the emergence of female vice chairpersons across all 25 local government areas.
Kuta further disclosed that the ministry would establish a coordinating committee to drive the implementation of the action plan, describing the document as a policy instrument that would guide government activities in the sector.
Also speaking, the Lead for Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion under the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) programme, Amina Akano Bello, said the initiative was strengthening institutional and community capacity to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.
She explained that the programme had empowered women-led groups, traditional institutions and local communities to identify and respond to human rights violations, particularly violence against women and girls.
Bello added that efforts were underway to ensure the full implementation of the Niger State Action Plan in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
The event marked not just the end of a project cycle, but the beginning of a broader institutional commitment to justice reform, gender inclusion and sustainable peace in Niger State.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
