Imo Unveils Maiden Women, Peace and Security Action Plan, Rallies Stakeholders for Inclusive Peacebuilding

The Imo State Government has presented the final draft of its maiden Women, Peace and Security State Action Plan (WPS-SAP) 2026–2030, describing it as a landmark policy that will strengthen women’s participation in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, governance and security across the state.

The Action Plan, the first of its kind in the South-East geopolitical zone, was presented during a pre-launch stakeholders’ and media engagement organised recently in Owerri by Imo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare in collaboration with Alliances for Africa (AFA) and Imo State Women, Peace and Security Committee.

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Speaking at the event, the Director of the Child Development Department, Imo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr. Blessing Azubuike, said the Action Plan was the outcome of years of consultations, technical reviews and stakeholder engagements that began in 2024.

She explained that although the process was initially expected to be concluded in 2025, extensive consultations extended the timeline, resulting in the adoption of the 2026–2030 implementation period.

According to Azubuike, the document localises Nigeria’s commitment to the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, while addressing Imo State’s unique peace and security challenges.

She said the Action Plan is built on five strategic pillars which includes participation, protection, prevention, relief and recovery hence called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), security institutions, traditional institutions, civil society organisations and development partners to take ownership of its implementation.

Azubuike explained that the pre-launch press conference was designed to prepare stakeholders and the public for the formal unveiling of the Action Plan as she likened the event to “John the Baptist in the Bible, preparing the way for what is to come,” saying it serves as a bridge to the official launch by the First Lady of Imo State, Her Excellency, Barrister Chioma Hope Uzodimma, who will formally unveil and present the Women, Peace and Security State Action Plan to the people of Imo State at a later date.

Azubuike further noted that while security in Imo State has improved significantly, sustaining peace requires deliberate policies that place women at the centre of peacebuilding, mediation and decision-making owing to their natural peace-loving dispositions.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Imo State, Lady Nkechinyere Ugwu, stressed that lasting peace begins in the home and acknowledged the critical role women play in fostering peaceful families and communities.

Lady Ugwu observed that although cultural barriers still exist in some communities, attitudes towards women’s participation in peacebuilding are changing while recalling an experience in her community where women, who were initially excluded from a peace meeting, were eventually invited after previous efforts by men to resolve the conflict proved unsuccessful.

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The Commissioner maintained that women possess unique skills in mediation and dialogue, noting that every man involved in conflict has mothers, sisters, wives or daughters who can positively influence them towards peace.

She described the Action Plan as more than a policy document, saying it represents a collective commitment to ensuring that women and girls are recognised not only as beneficiaries of peace but also as leaders, mediators, decision-makers and active partners in shaping the future of Imo State.

Earlier, the Programmes Officer, Alliances for Africa (AFA), Mrs. Blessing Duru, emphasised that cultural realities were carefully considered throughout the drafting process to ensure the document reflected the needs and aspirations of communities across the state.

Mrs. Duru disclosed that extensive consultations were held with stakeholders across Imo State and explained that implementation would be driven by a Reporting Committee and a Monitoring and Implementation Committee, working in partnership with government institutions, security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society organisations.

According to her, the objective is to ensure that the Action Plan becomes a practical tool for promoting peace and security rather than remaining only a policy document.

During an interactive session with journalists, Dr. Blessing Azubuike, speaking on behalf of the Imo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, revealed that the drafting process involved sustained advocacy and consultations with the Imo State House of Assembly, particularly the House Committee on Women Affairs.

She said the Chairman of the House Committee actively participated in meetings of the technical working group and that every relevant ministry, department and agency was engaged throughout the process to ensure inclusiveness and broad ownership of the Action Plan.

Responding to questions on legislative collaboration and implementation, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare clarified that the Action Plan is a policy framework and not a bill requiring passage by the Imo State House of Assembly. She explained that while the Ministry collaborated closely with the legislature throughout the drafting process, implementation remains the immediate priority.

The Commissioner cited the ongoing implementation of other government inclusion policies, including measures supporting persons with disabilities through an extension of the retirement age in the state civil service and advocacy for improved accessibility in public and commercial buildings. She, however, acknowledged that the government must do more to publicise such achievements.

Contributing to the discussion, former Member of the Imo State House of Assembly and former Chairperson of the Imo State Committee on Women, Peace and Security, Ambassador Uju Onwudike, commended the state government for restoring relative peace and stability while stressing that more work remains to be done to consolidate the gains already recorded.

She distinguished the Women, Peace and Security agenda from the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) (VAPP) Law, explaining that while both seek to address violence, the Women, Peace and Security Action Plan is specifically designed to increase women’s participation in peacebuilding, conflict prevention and decision-making.

According to Onwudike, women possess unique capacities for mediation, dialogue and reconciliation, making their inclusion indispensable to achieving sustainable peace.

She urged government institutions, security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and community stakeholders to support the implementation of the Action Plan, insisting that lasting peace and security can only be achieved when women are meaningfully represented at decision-making tables.

The event was attended by officials of the Imo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the National Orientation Agency, security institutions, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, development partners, members of the media and other stakeholders, all of whom pledged support for the implementation of the Imo State Women, Peace and Security State Action Plan (2026–2030).