From Shafa’atu Suleiman, Sokoto
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, has urged governments, traditional leaders, and stakeholders to intensify efforts in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and advancing women’s rights to strengthen family and community wellbeing across Africa.
Speaking while receiving a delegation from the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) and its partners in his palace, the Sultan said that protecting the family is central to building a stable society and that women must be supported to play their roles in safe, violence-free environments.
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He commended the delegation for its work, noting that their objectives align with the Sultanate’s long-standing advocacy for women’s rights and education within Islamic principles.
He praised the women-majority team for their leadership and urged consistent follow-up on recommendations from national and regional forums.
The Sultan gave his provisional confirmation to attend the African Traditional Leaders’ Conference on Women’s Rights and GBV scheduled for February 2026 in Lagos.
The meeting, which was described as a landmark platform by Ford Foundation Program Officer Mr Oumar N’diaye, will bring together traditional rulers from across Africa to strengthen joint efforts against gender-based violence.
According to him, the Sultan’s stance aligns with the efforts of DRPC, which has been working with Islamic scholars to advocate for the protection of women through the prevention of GBV from an Islamic perspective.
“The Sultan’s message was really about the importance of the family, the core, the pillar of society, He talked to us about the critical role that the family plays, and also the women’s roles within the family”
Leading the dRPC Associate Dr. Taufiq Abubakar Hussain,Director of the Center for Islamic Civilization and Interfaith Dialogue highlighted the organisation’s Muslim Opinion Leaders (MOLs) for the Prevention of GBV in Northern Nigeria project, supported by the Ford Foundation.
He said that initiative partners with Islamic scholars to advance women’s protection and has produced publications in collaboration with Al-Azhar University and the Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue, now being translated into Arabic and Hausa.
Hussain explained that the project draws on historic Islamic scholarship from Sheikh Usman bin Fodio and Sheikh Muhammad Bello, adding that “It is not something new, but rather something we are reintroducing to address today’s challenges.”
A representative of the Federation of Women Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Kano State chapter, Barrister Aisha Ali Tijjani also shared progress on judicial reforms in Kano, revealing that more than 50 Shari’a court judges have been trained to handle GBV cases.
According to her, a new law has eased the burden of proof and improved women’s access to justice in cases of domestic violence and matrimonial disputes.
The meeting ended with an exchange of souvenirs, a group photograph, and a closing prayer, with the Sultan assuring his guests that his palace remains open for continued engagement in the campaign to protect families and uphold women’s rights.
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