The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP-Nigeria) has introduced a monitoring and assessment platform to track Nigeria's implementation of Women, Peace and Security (WPS) commitments. Launched in Abuja on September 25, 2026, the UNSCR 1325 Action Lab and WPS Localisation Monitoring and Assessment Framework aim to provide a coordinated mechanism for documenting progress, measuring implementation, and identifying gaps. This initiative seeks to promote peace and protect women and girls by strengthening accountability at national and subnational levels.
According to WANEP-Nigeria's National Network Coordinator, Dr. Bridget Osakwe, the Action Lab was developed to address the need for stronger systems to determine the effectiveness of Nigeria's WPS efforts. While Nigeria has made important commitments through national and state-level policies and action plans, there is a need to move beyond formal policies and commitments. The Action Lab will provide a practical platform for tracking, monitoring, learning, and accountability on WPS implementation and localisation across the country.
The WPS Localisation Monitoring and Assessment Framework will provide stakeholders with a common methodology for generating and using evidence, creating opportunities for learning, collaboration, and accountability. The initiative brings together government institutions, civil society organisations, women and youth networks, communities, development partners, researchers, and other stakeholders involved in peacebuilding and conflict prevention. This coordinated approach aims to strengthen evidence-based implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.
UN Women Programme Specialist, Women, Peace and Security, Mr. Peter Mancha, noted that Nigeria has made progress in developing policies to advance women's participation but still faces significant challenges in translating those commitments into concrete action. He called for greater involvement of Nigerian women in peacebuilding, security, and decision-making, warning that the country cannot achieve sustainable peace while women remain underrepresented in leadership. Mancha stated that women currently account for only about five per cent of representation in key decision-making institutions.
Mancha emphasised that Nigeria does not lack capable women but lacks the enabling environment required for them to compete effectively with men for leadership positions. UN Women is working with the Nigerian government and other stakeholders to address the gaps through women's economic empowerment, political participation, security, and humanitarian interventions. A major focus of the organisation's work is the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
The latest National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security provides an opportunity for Nigeria to learn from weaknesses identified in previous plans and develop a stronger mechanism for implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Mancha noted that a major weakness of previous action plans was limited government ownership, stressing that UN Women had pushed for stronger political commitment before the development of the latest plan. President Bola Tinubu has endorsed the latest National Action Plan and expressed commitment to its implementation.
The success of the initiative will depend not only on collecting evidence but also on how the findings are used to improve policies, programmes, coordination, and accountability at national and subnational levels. WANEP-Nigeria expects continued engagement from stakeholders as the Action Lab begins its work of monitoring and assessing progress on Women, Peace and Security across Nigeria. The launch marks an effort to strengthen evidence-based implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.
Key points
- WANEP-Nigeria launches UNSCR 1325 Action Lab to track Nigeria's WPS commitments
- The Action Lab aims to provide a coordinated mechanism for documenting progress, measuring implementation, and identifying gaps
- Nigeria faces significant challenges in translating WPS commitments into concrete action at national, state, and local levels
