The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama, on Sunday said Nigeria cannot effectively tackle insecurity and other social challenges without the full participation of women in governance and decision-making processes.
Kaigama made the remark during his homily at the Divine Mercy Pastoral Area in Karu, Abuja, where he emphasised the critical role women play in building a peaceful and stable society.
According to the cleric, women possess the capacity to contribute significantly to the creation of a safer society if provided with the right opportunities and enabling environment.
He therefore called on the federal and state governments to create supportive policies that empower women and ensure stronger measures to end violence against them.
“As pillars of the home, mothers can positively influence their husbands and children to build a culture of peace, honest dialogue and harmony,” Kaigama said.
The archbishop noted that government efforts to address social problems such as insecurity, kidnapping, terrorism, and banditry would remain incomplete without women’s involvement in policymaking and implementation.
“It is impossible for government to fully address and combat social menaces such as insecurity, kidnapping, terrorism, banditry and others without involving women in its policy-making strategies and implementation,” he said.
Kaigama also used the occasion of Mother’s Day to offer prayers for mothers across the country, urging them to continue playing their vital roles in shaping families and communities.
“Today, as we celebrate Mother’s Day, we ask God to bless all mothers and make them channels of God’s grace to transform our society wounded and corrupted in many ways,” he added.
The archbishop reaffirmed that empowering women and strengthening family values remain essential steps toward addressing Nigeria’s growing social and security challenges.
