Sultan of Sokoto Endorses African Conference on Women's Rights

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar, has endorsed the proposed African Traditional Leaders' Conference on women's rights and gender-based violence (GBV). The endorsement came after a delegation from the Development Research Projects Centre (DRPC) and Ford Foundation briefed the Sultan on the upcoming conference scheduled for February 2026 in Lagos.

The conference aims to unite traditional leaders across Africa to advocate for women's rights and combat GBV. The delegation outlined the work of the Muslim Opinion Leaders (MOLs) in preventing GBV in Northern Nigeria, funded by the Ford Foundation.

The initiative engages Islamic scholars to promote women's protection from an Islamic perspective.