PRESS STATEMENT ON BAN OF FEMALE CADETS

Abuja, 14 Nov. 17– President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent meeting to revise the National Defence Policy 2014 on the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service Officers 2017 has drawn the attention of the Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, also known as Partners West Africa-Nigeria (PWAN). We are concerned about the decision by the Army Council to reverse progress made in 2013 towards the recruitment of female combatant cadets as contained in Recommendation 19 of the new Harmonised Terms and Conditions of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, which proposes to “Phase out the training of female regular combatant cadets”.