The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has provisionally confirmed his participation in the African Traditional Leaders’ Conference on Women’s Rights and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) scheduled for February 2026 in Lagos.
The Sultan gave the confirmation when he received a delegation from the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) on a courtesy visit to his palace in Sokoto.
Commending dRPC’s initiatives, the Sultan said the organisation’s objectives align with the Sultanate’s long-standing advocacy for women’s rights and education rooted in Islamic scholarship. He also praised the women-majority delegation for their leadership and called for consistent follow-up on recommendations from national forums.
Mr. Oumar Ndiaye, Programme Officer of the Ford Foundation, described the forthcoming conference as a landmark opportunity for traditional leaders across Africa to unite in addressing GBV and advancing women’s rights. He lauded the Sultan’s commitment and reaffirmed the Foundation’s support for dRPC’s efforts, stressing that “ending GBV requires collective action across society.”
Leading the delegation, Professor Taufiq Abubakar highlighted dRPC’s Muslim Opinion Leaders (MOLs) for the Prevention of GBV in Northern Nigeria project, supported by the Ford Foundation. He explained that the initiative works with Islamic scholars to promote women’s protection from an Islamic perspective.
According to him, the project has produced extensive publications developed in collaboration with Al-Azhar University and the Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue, which are now being translated into Arabic and Hausa.
Professor Abubakar also pointed to dRPC’s ongoing partnerships with Muslim scholars to tackle GBV and the “double stigmatisation” faced by survivors, describing it as a growing social challenge in Northern Nigeria.
