From Our Correspondent
Abuja, Nov. 20, ’25 (TNZ) The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has advocated for an increase in women’s recruitment quota in the Nigeria Police Act (Amendment) Bill from 15 per cent to 30 per cent.
It specifically 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.
TheNewsZenith quotes Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), as making the call in a statement in Abuja.
Rafsanjani, who also heads Transparency International, Nigeria, noted that proposed quota aligned 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,” he said.
He recalled, during the public hearing organised by the House Committee on Police Affairs at the National Assembly, that raising the percentage to 30 would make the country meet international benchmark.
Gimba Hassan, CISLAC’s Senior Programme Officer repreaented Rafsanjani at the public hearing.
According to him, a 30 per cent benchmark is globally recognised as the minimum threshold for meaningful representation.
”It is alsp necessary corrective step to decades of structural exclusion of women in policing,” TheNewsZenith quotes him as stating.
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CISLAC emphasised that women currently constitute less than 11 per cent of the Nigeria Police Force. It noted this figure ”is far below regional and international standards for inclusive policing.”
Stakeholders at the public hearing applauded the recommendation. Several panel members expressed willingness to consider a compromise starting point of 20 per cent.
CISLAC also welcomed the openness of the House Committee and encouraged the lawmakers to boldlt and progressively adopt the stronger gender reforms.
Meanwhile, the Head, Legal Unit at the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, Mr Okorie Kalu, said the ministry was developing new Police regulations to eliminate discriminatory criteria.
Kalu said the new rules 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.” TheNewsZenith quotes Kalu as saying. (TNZ)
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