The Federal Government has called for a stronger strategic partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to accelerate the implementation of laws and policies protecting women, children and other vulnerable groups, while advancing women’s participation in leadership and decision-making.
The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, FSI, made the call when the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, FCIArb, and members of the NBA Executive paid her a courtesy visit at the Ministry in Abuja.
The Minister described the visit as an opportunity to deepen collaboration between the Ministry and the NBA, particularly in strengthening legal and institutional frameworks for the protection of women and children, improving access to justice and ensuring that policies translate into tangible impact across the country.
The Minister congratulated Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya on her election, saying her emergence was a significant milestone for Nigerian women and an inspiration to girls across the country.
“On behalf of all the women in Nigeria, over 140 million, I congratulate our sister for assuming this role. You are an inspiration to every woman and every girl in Nigeria; an inspiration to me personally because I watched every activity of your campaign.”
She described the NBA President’s victory as evidence that women could attain the highest leadership positions when given the opportunity and supported by both women and men.
According to her, “See me as your sister, your accountability partner and your partner in progress and prosperity for our women, our children and our families.”
The Minister said the Ministry had identified the NBA as a critical partner in ensuring that Nigeria’s legal instruments and policies affecting women, children and vulnerable persons were effectively implemented.
She stressed that while the non-implementation of policies in some sectors might not immediately result in loss of life, failure to implement laws protecting women and children could have devastating consequences.
“Most policies do not get fully implemented. We’re in our own ecosystem. The legal instruments we have must be implemented. Otherwise, for so many people, it’s an issue of life and death.”
Hajiya Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that laws such as the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act and the Child Rights Act were critical instruments for preventing abuse and protecting vulnerable Nigerians, stressing that effective implementation must extend beyond Abuja to states, local governments and communities.
She therefore appealed to the NBA to serve as an accountability partner and constructive voice in the implementation of policies and legal frameworks within the women, children and social development sector.
“We’d like to seek the Nigerian Bar Association to be our accountability partner so that it’s not just happening, but it’s also happening across board.”
The Minister further called for the NBA’s support in strengthening Nigeria’s child protection architecture, noting that the country’s rapidly growing population made it imperative to develop comprehensive systems capable of protecting and advancing the wellbeing of children.
She disclosed that upon assuming office, the Ministry conducted a comprehensive assessment of its policy environment and identified significant gaps in policies, guidelines and frameworks, prompting the development and strengthening of critical instruments.
Among the areas requiring sustained attention, she said, were adoption protocols, guidelines for the operation of orphanages and the provision of childcare facilities, including crèches.
“As the lead protection Ministry, we have to do a lot to be able to tell people: this is the way we go as a country, so that every other stakeholder can support those systems and structures.”
She also called for increased collaboration in addressing access to justice, including the establishment and effective functioning of family courts and mechanisms that would make justice accessible to children, vulnerable persons and the less privileged.
According to the Minister, “How do we make sure that there’s a family court or there’s a functional family court in every local government, in any local community? How do we make sure that we address the issues of access to justice, not just for our children, but for the vulnerable and the less privileged?”
On women’s political participation, the Minister urged the NBA to support efforts towards translating Nigeria’s 35 per cent affirmative action commitment into reality, describing it as an important foundation for achieving broader gender parity in leadership.
She also called for stronger collaboration with women lawyers and other professional women to build the pipeline for women’s advancement into critical leadership positions.
The Minister commended Nigerian men who supported the NBA President’s emergence, noting that the advancement of women required partnership between both genders.
“I thank all the men for the support that they will give. I know so many men voted for you. They believed that it was time for a woman, so that the Bar can look more compassionate and more kind.”
Earlier, the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, FCIArb, expressed appreciation to the Minister for the warm reception and commended her efforts in advancing the cause of women, children and vulnerable Nigerians.
The NBA President said she had followed the Minister’s work and was impressed by the impact of the Ministry’s initiatives.
“I know that it’s common for people to come and say all sorts of nice things, but we see the effect of what you are doing. And I want to thank you for it because we know that it’s not an easy thing to shift views, to shift opinions, to galvanize, but the result at the end of the day will be worth all the efforts that you’re making.”
Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya stated that the NBA, as a critical stakeholder in government policy, had an important responsibility to provide legal support for policies and programmes that affect Nigerians.
She assured the Minister that the NBA would collaborate with the Ministry, particularly in promoting women’s advancement into leadership positions and strengthening legal protections for children and vulnerable persons.
“The NBA is a critical stakeholder in any government policy because we must lend our support to the legal aspects of all policies. We want to assure you that all your initiatives will receive our collaboration and support.”
She emphasized the importance of having both men and women represented in decision-making spaces, noting that diversity of perspectives was essential to robust policy making and national development.
“The greatest progress is when we have both sets of views in the room, driving development.”
The NBA President also expressed concern over the challenges faced by vulnerable children in accessing justice, stressing the need for policies that would prevent children from being subjected to inappropriate legal processes and ensure that their rights were protected.
She recalled instances where children caught up in insurgency-related cases had been arrested and charged as adults, describing such situations as unacceptable and underscoring the need for stronger legal safeguards.
According to her, the NBA was ready to work with the Ministry to strengthen laws, amend outdated legislation and develop appropriate legal frameworks that would improve Nigeria’s standing in the international community while protecting its most vulnerable citizens.
“In adjusting laws that have existed for too long, in amending them or completely rewriting them, whatever we need to do, we are here. We promise you our support. We promise you our collaboration.”
Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya further pledged the NBA’s support for initiatives aimed at accelerating legal reforms in the areas of child protection, access to justice and the advancement of women.
She said the NBA leadership was prepared to leverage the support it had received from its members to ensure that the issues raised during the meeting translated into concrete action.
The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Ministry, members of the NBA Executive, representatives of women-focused organisations, development partners and other stakeholders.
Ahmed Lawan Danbazau Mnipr
Head, Press and Public Relations Dept.(FMWASD)
