As the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, WARDC, marks 25 years of trailblazing women’s rights advocacy, prominent Nigerian leaders, feminists, jurists, and parliamentarians are uniting to celebrate an organisation widely described as “a pillar of access to justice for women and girls in Nigeria.”
The silver jubilee celebration, themed “Breaking Barriers and Building Futures with Women and Girls in Nigeria,” will reflect on WARDC’s enduring legacy of legal empowerment, gender justice, and feminist advocacy over the last two and a half decades.
Renowned public policy expert and former World Bank Vice President, Dr. Obiageli ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili, has consistently described WARDC as “one of Nigeria’s most courageous institutions, standing firm where the law, justice, and the dignity of women intersect.” According to her, WARDC’s work has “kept the promise of accountability and justice alive for thousands of women who would otherwise have been silenced.”
Similarly, feminist icon and former First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, notes that WARDC has “redefined feminist legal advocacy in Nigeria by centring survivors, challenging patriarchal systems, and insisting that the law must work for women, not against them.”
Founder of WARDC, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, reflecting on the journey, describes the organisation as “a movement built on courage, solidarity, and the refusal to accept injustice as normal.”
She emphasises that WARDC’s impact lies not only in policy reforms and landmark interventions, but in “the everyday lives of women and girls who now know their rights and can claim them.”
The anniversary event will convene judicial leaders, lawmakers, government officials, development partners, civil society actors, activists, and beneficiaries to examine progress made and to chart a bold, feminist future for women’s rights in Nigeria.
The opening ceremony will feature a ceremonial procession of WARDC staff, volunteers, and partners, followed by the National Anthem, Women’s Anthem, and WARDC Anthem. opening remarks will be delivered by the Chairman of the Ceremony, Prof. Akin Oyebode, with a welcome address by the Chairperson of the WARDC Board, Prof. Jumai Audi.
Goodwill messages will be received from key donor partners, including the MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, UN Trust Fund, UN Women, AWDF, and the Canadian High Commission.
Special remarks will also be delivered by the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Imaam Suleiman-Ibrahim, FSI, alongside presiding officers of state legislatures, including the Rt. Hon. Speakers of Gombe, Yobe, and Ekiti States, and the Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, as well as members of the National Assembly.
A major highlight will be the keynote address, “Breaking Barriers, Building Futures with Women and Girls: Re-Imagining Access to Justice,” to be delivered by Hon. Justice Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju, CFR (JSC, FCIArb) of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, underscoring WARDC’s influence within Nigeria’s justice system.
The celebration will also witness the unveiling of a commemorative book documenting WARDC’s struggles, victories, and impact, to be reviewed by Ijeoma Ofia, Guardian Today Woman Editor, with reflections from Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi and Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi.
A high-level panel on “Women’s Activism in Nigeria: Reflections” will feature respected advocates including Iyom Josephine Anenih, Prof. Joy Ezeilo, SAN, OON, BOH, Hassaina Maina, Mic Taiwo, and Ene Obi, alongside powerful testimonies from women whose lives have been transformed by WARDC’s interventions.
International and regional partners from Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, and the United States, alongside Nigerian civil society allies, will also lend their voices, reinforcing WARDC’s reputation as “a respected feminist institution with global solidarity and local impact.”
As WARDC turns 25, the organisation is being widely celebrated as a conscience of the women’s movement, an institution that has consistently broken barriers, challenged unjust laws, and built pathways to justice for women and girls across Nigeria.
The event will conclude with testimonies, cultural performances, and closing remarks by the Acting Executive Director, Dr. Princess Olufemi-Kayode, who will reaffirm WARDC’s commitment to building a just, inclusive, and equitable future.
