African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD) has asked governments at all levels to prioritize funding and policy reforms that institutionalize male engagement in Gender Based Violence prevention and gender equality work.
The Centre has, however, revealed plan to train and mobilize at least 1,000 male leaders and grassroots influencers in gender advocacy and feminist principles across the country.
Speaking at a press conference to launch the Male Feminist Network (MFN) project, Friday in Abuja, founding executive director of Centre LSD, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, said the efforts are part of collective journey to end gender-based violence (GBV) and to promote gender equality in Nigeria.
According to Centre LSD, women have been marginalized socially, economically, and politically in nearly all countries.
“One in ten women lives in poverty; women are less likely than men to have access to social protection. Women are more food insecure than men and suffer more from lack of water and sanitation.
“In Nigeria, the situation is more precarious. Men gained voting rights in 1922 through the Clifford Constitution but women all over Nigeria gained voting rights in 1979 through the 1979 Constitution-a 57-year gap. The early constitutions in Nigeria (1922 Clifford, 1946 Richards, 1951 Macpherson) restricted suffrage to adult males.
“Statistics from the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) and reports by the National Bureau of Statistics reveal alarming figures – over 35% of Nigerian women have experienced physical violence, and millions more face emotional, sexual, and economic abuse.
“We also know that patriarchal norms, entrenched in our cultural, social, and even legal systems, fuel these injustices. Too often, men are either direct perpetrators of violence or passive bystanders when harmful practices are carried out.”
Centre LSD, however expressed believe that men hold influence in homes, workplaces, religious communities, politics, and traditional institutions—and when that influence is aligned with feminist values, the change is profound, hence the new initiative.
Dr. Igbuzor said vision is to ensure that men across Nigeria actively challenging gender-based violence, supporting gender equality and women empowerment, and contributing to a society where women and girls can thrive.
“Over the next two years, through the support of the Ford Foundation, we will work with zonal partners to train and mobilize at least 1,000 male leaders and grassroots influencers in gender advocacy and feminist principles.
“We will build a functional, inclusive, and visible national network of male feminists.
“Engage traditional, religious, and cultural leaders to adopt gender-sensitive practices.
“Amplify public awareness through strategic use of traditional and digital media to challenge toxic masculinity and promote inclusive gender narratives.”
To achieve the vision, Igbuzor called on Nigerian government “to prioritise funding and policy reforms that institutionalize male engagement in GBV prevention and gender equality work.
“To donors and development partners – Join the Ford Foundation in funding this critical work. With more resources, we can scale this model not just in Nigeria but across Africa.
“To the private sector – Partner with us to integrate male allyship into workplace policies and corporate social responsibility initiatives.”
Speaking earlier, the Chairperson of the board, Centre LSD, Kyauta Agmadalo Giwa, said the launch of the Male Feminist Network marks a collective commitment to reshaping narratives, challenging harmful norms, and building a more equitable society for all.
“The Male Feminist Network is one such intervention and the role of the media is very critical in achieving this. This project is rooted in a simple but radical idea: that men must be allies, advocates, and active participants in the movement for gender justice. Feminism is not just a women’s issue it is a human issue.”