The Commissioners for the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs in North West States have called on their state governors to include them in security council meetings, enabling them to contribute to tackling the insecurity plaguing the region.

This call was part of their resolution at the North West Commissioners for Women and Children roundtable discussion titled “Harnessing Women’s Voices for Lasting Peace,” held in Kaduna.

According to the Commissioners, involving them in such meetings would amplify women’s voices and ensure effective representation in decision-making processes.

The Commissioners from the seven states in the region who attended the meeting also agreed to collaborate across various sectors to promote sustainable development and empowerment as resilience mechanisms to strengthen peace and security.

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They also pledged to support the North West Governors’ Coordination Desk in designing, developing, and implementing a regional strategic framework on Peace and Security.

Hajiya Rabi Salisu, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, and Coordinator of the Commissioners for Women and Children Affairs in the North West Zone, stated that women are the most affected by banditry and other forms of conflict in the region.

“Conflicts affect women more than men in the North West. We gathered from the North West states to strategize and provide solutions from a women’s perspective on how to address the conflicts affecting the region,” she explained.

“We want to speak on behalf of the women about how it affects us directly, because peace and security are daily activities and everyone’s business. It (banditry) affects us because it’s our children, husbands, and brothers who are being killed. This directly affects us, as it’s the women who are left vulnerable with orphans and sexual violence,” she said.

She emphasized that if women were allowed to participate in security meetings, it would significantly address many of the region’s challenges. “Women are peacebuilders, as acknowledged by the United Nations,” she added, highlighting that the roundtable would showcase practical examples of what is happening in the North West states.

In his remarks, Jibril Hamza Ahmed, the North West Governors’ Coordinator Desk, said his role is to mobilize partners to address some of the region’s problems. He acknowledged that the Desk, in collaboration with partners such as UNDP, recognizes the critical role women play in fostering peace and security in the country.

“Women are not only victims of conflict but also agents of change — uniquely positioned to bridge divides, rebuild communities, and drive sustainable development,” he said.

He added that the gathering was based on a shared vision of amplifying women’s voices and leveraging their participation to address the pressing challenges of insecurity, social cohesion, and development in the North West region.

Through the roundtable, he said, they aim to establish actionable steps and long-term mechanisms to promote a safer, more prosperous North West Nigeria.

Commissioners from Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, and Kaduna all attended the roundtable meeting.