Pulse.ng : Raise female representation in NPF to 30 % CISLAC tells National Assembly

By Perpetua Onuegbu

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), has called on the National Assembly to raise the proposed women’s recruitment quota in the Nigeria Police Act (Amendment) Bill from 15 per cent to 30 per cent.

Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), who also heads Transparency International – Nigeria, made the call in a statement he signed on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to him, this aligns with the African Union and ECOWAS benchmarks on gender inclusion in security sector governance.

“The National Policy on Women, adopted in 2000, recommended a 30 per cent reservation for women in appointments.”

But Rafsanjani said during the Public Hearing organised by the House Committee on Police Affairs at the National Assembly that raising the percentage to 30 will make the country meet international benchmark.

He was represented by the organisation’s Senior Programme Officer, Gimba Hassan.

He reiterated that a 30 per cent benchmark is not only globally recognised as the minimum threshold for meaningful representation, but a necessary corrective to decades of structural exclusion of women in policing.

The organisation emphasised that women currently constitute less than 11 per cent of the Nigeria Police Force, a figure far below regional and international standards for inclusive policing.

CISLAC’s recommendation was met with applause from stakeholders at the hearing, with several panel members expressing willingness to consider a compromise starting point of 20 per cent.

The organisation welcomed the openness of the committee and encouraged lawmakers to be bold and progressive in adopting stronger gender reforms.

Head, Legal Unit at the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, Mr Okorie Kalu, announced that the Ministry is developing new Police regulations to eliminate discriminatory criteria.

The new rules, he stated, would remove marital and pregnancy restrictions, abolish gender-based duty assignments and end gendered dress codes reforms long advocated by CISLAC.

“CISLAC also called for phasing out of analogue record-keeping at all levels of the Police Force;

“Establishment of a digital, unified and perpetual record system for crimes, especially those involving gender-based violence (GBV) and human rights violations;

“Mandatory documentation of investigative outcomes and prosecutions in a transparent and accessible format.”

He said that the organisation also recommended for the creation of a Gender and Inclusion Compliance Directorate with the statutory authority to monitor recruitment, training, postings, promotions, and disciplinary procedures.

“Compulsory gender-responsive budgeting across the Police Force and Annual gender audits and public reporting to strengthen accountability.”

CISLAC stressed that modern policing in a 21st-century democracy cannot operate on outdated, analogue, or discriminatory frameworks.

It noted that a digitised and gender-responsive system enhanced professionalism, improved public trust and strengthened Nigeria’s ability to prevent and prosecute GBV, human rights abuses and corruption-related offences.

The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the National Assembly in developing a more inclusive, transparent and rights-based Police Force capable of responding to security challenges in line with global best practices.(NAN)