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Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), on Thursday, urged the military high command to eliminate the barriers and biases that have historically restricted women’s participation in the armed forces.
Abdulsalami asserted that the military’s effectiveness and efficiency depended on the full participation of all its members regardless of gender.
The former Head of State made the call at the 2024 edition of the Defence Headquarters Annual Gender Conference with the theme “Mainstreaming women peace security agenda for enhanced operations in the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
He said, “We recognise that their contributions are not limited to the additional gender roles but extend to leadership positions, strategic decision-making, and operational excellence.
“Our goal is to create a military that reflects the diversity of our nations, where every officer that is serving has an equal opportunity to serve and contribute regardless of gender. We must work together to address the barriers and biases that have historically limited women’s participation.
“I urge you all to embrace this vision to champion the women’s peace and security agenda and to ensure that our military is a vehicle of inclusivity and excellence.”
The Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, disclosed that Nigeria had surpassed 15 per cent female participation by 2028 standing already at 22 per cent.
Represented by his Technical Assistant, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Jibrin (retd.), the minister said the conference was a testament to their collective resolve to ensure that “gender equality is not just a policy, but a living, breathing and continuously evolving reality within our defence sector.”
He confirmed that the defence sector had historically been dominated by traditional gender roles.
“Our Armed Forces should be at their best when they reflect the diverse society they protect by integrating gender perspectives into our policies, operations and strategies. We will surely enhance our capability, foster a more inclusive environment, and better serve the needs of our assailants,” the minister said.
He called for “increased equipment targets for women to achieve 30 per cent bigger representation across all the military services.”
The minister also canvassed the establishment of specialized training programmes to support women in a military career and provide equal opportunities for women in all military occupational specialties, including combat roles.
He reiterated, “We must remain committed to addressing the barriers and biases that exist, ensuring that our policies translate into tangible positive outcomes. Moving forward, we will continue to enhance our gender-based training initiatives. We should ensure that the Nigerian military sets an example of inclusivity and diversity in service to our nation.”
