Nigeria

Plan launched first in 2013, second in 2017

Objectives:
•       Prevention and Disaster Preparedness: To ensure prevention of conflict and all forms of violence against women and girls, institute coping mechanisms and systems for averting and mitigating disasters
• Protection and Prosecution: To ensure the rights of women and girls are protected and promoted in conflict and peace and also to prosecute such rights violations; Participation and Representation: To increase participation and engagement of women and inclusion of women’s interests in decision-making processes related to conflict prevention and peacebuilding
• Crisis Management, Early Recovery and Post-Conflict Reconstruction: To ensure specific relief and recovery needs of women and girls are met and women’s capacities to act as agents in crisis, recovery and post-conflict situations are reinforced
• Partnerships, Coordination and Management: To ensure increase in the capacity and resources to coordinate, implement, monitor and report on women, peace and security plans and programmes.

Commentary:
A plethora of conflicts followed Nigeria’s independence in 1960, most of these characterized by violence, sexual assault, food insecurity, and internal displacement, all issues strongly affecting the rise of women’s rights in Nigeria. Nigeria is regarded as one of the most powerful players in the West African region, having taken the lead in the process of conflict resolution in more than one civil war, contributing troops to Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as well as in Sudan, Sao Tome, and Cote d’Ivoire. The Nigerian NAP has a relatively strong focus on recruitment and retention of women in the security sector, and pledges that “women should form at least 35% of the military and security force in the country” (The Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2013, p.17).

Civil Society:
Both Nigerian National Action Plans (2010 and 2017) have a clear focus towards increased civil society participation in decision making processes within humanitarian assistance programs. Civil society actors actively participated in processing, implementation, monitoring and evaluation stages. To illustrate, the Steering Committee consisted of various government ministries, UN entities and civil society organizations.   

Women in Peacekeeping:
Nigeria recognizes the importance of the Security Council Resolution 1325 in reference to giving greater attention to gender perspectives in the implementation of peacekeeping and peace-building mandates as well as in conflict prevention efforts. In this vein, the NAPS promote the participation and representation of women in all peacekeeping, peace negotiations, peace-building and post conflict activities as well as in the decision making processes of the state.

UN Peacekeeping Statistics:

Police: 60 out of 202

Troops: 16 out of 62

Experts on Mission: 5 of 26

Staff Officers: 3 of 37

Sources:
Nigeria National Action Plan (2013)
Nigeria Revised National Action Plan (2017)
UN Peacekeeping (2018)
Peace Women (n.d)

References:
The Federal Republic of Nigeria (2013), National Action Plan for the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 and Related Resolutions in Nigeria. pp1-64.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria (2017), National Action Plan for the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 and Related Resolutions in Nigeria 2017 – 2020. pp.1-7. pp1-75.

PeaceWomen (n.d.). National Action Plan: Nigeria. [online] Peacewomen.org. Available at: https://www.peacewomen.org/nap-nigeria [Accessed 5 Oct. 2018].

UN Peacekeeping (2018). Summary of Contributions to UN Peacekeeping by Country and Post. [online] Peacekeeping.un.org. Available at: https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/5.pdf  [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].