Partnership to Impact: Strengthening Women’s Inclusion and Access to Justice in Niger State
Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), through the SPRiNG Programme funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and implemented with support from Tetra Tech, successfully delivered an intervention (June 2025 – April 2026) across four Local Government Areas in Niger State — Bida, Bosso, Lapai, and Suleja.
The project tackled Niger State’s complex security crisis — marked by banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts, and pervasive gender-based violence — by placing women and marginalised populations at the centre of peacebuilding and justice reform.
Key Achievements include:
Through its Police Duty Solicitors Scheme (PDSS), the project deployed 14 pro bono lawyers (64% female) who supported over 1,100 detainees and secured the release of 595 individuals. Six capacity-building events reached nearly 200 participants across security agencies, women-led organisations, and community groups. The project also facilitated the development and validation of Niger State’s first Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 — a landmark step toward institutionalising women’s participation in peace and security processes.
Community-level Mixed Observer Teams (MOTs) were revitalised across all four LGAs, independently organising sensitisation drives, GBV prevention programmes, and economic empowerment activities.
This endline evaluation, conducted in March 2026, confirms measurable progress in collaboration, legal access, and community-led safety — while recommending sustained funding and longer implementation timelines to deepen transformative impact.
