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It is believed that the continued deradicalization and integration of former rebels into society does not benefit women who also bear the brunt of the insurgency. blueprint.ng reports the need for adequate inclusiveness.
Over 24 years, statistics showed that Boko Haram terrorists would kill around 50,000 people with over 2.5 million displaced.
Concerned about this development, the federal government has over the years shifted its military deradicalization tactics towards non-military methods such as negotiation, amnesty, disarmament, reintegration and empowerment.
For both men and women rebels, programs such as vocational training, literacy, entrepreneurial skills and life skills development have been adapted to change their mindset towards terrorism.
However, it is known that a gender gap still exists that reflects deeper structural inequalities, thus posing risks to long-term peacebuilding.
Through the program in collaboration with UNICEF and the Borno State Government, some surrendered terrorists, especially women and children, are currently camped in designated areas in Maiduguri, a situation that has generated much concern and fear.
This requires greater representation of women in such initiatives; therefore, the role of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and other related agencies cannot be emphasized enough to ensure that their experiences are integrated.
Reintegration of UNICEF and issues arising therefrom
In a recent report, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Borno State Government, sought the support of traditional rulers and the public in its bid to reconcile and reintegrate 6,000 ex-non-state combatants and their associates, who laid down their arms and surrendered to the troops.
Head of UNICEF Field Office in Maiduguri, Phuong Nguyen, during the official launch of a public information campaign in support of reconciliation and reintegration of surrendered terrorists, said developing partners such as UNICEF, EU, UN, among others, will do their best to support the state government under the leadership of Governor Babagana Zulum, other traditional rulers and religious leaders towards the reintegration of children who were previously linked to armed groups and recruited by non-state actors.
According to her: “These are our children, neighbors, brothers and sisters who were trapped on one side of the conflict. Many of them remained in territories previously controlled by non-state armed groups and exploited as laborers, cooks, gunsmiths, spies and agricultural laborers.
“Others were forcibly married and tortured. There is no doubt that over the years these boys and girls have experienced harrowing moments and have been subjected to multiple violations of their human rights.”
New worries
The situation has raised new concerns about what to do with women’s exclusion from the program.
The gap, reports say, reflects deeper structural inequalities and poses risks to long-term peacebuilding.
The program, known as Operation Safe Corridor, is designed to rehabilitate and reintegrate repentant rebels, particularly those linked to the conflict involving Boko Haram.
However, critics argue that women, many of whom are forcibly recruited, are not adequately included.
Reacting, Gender Expert and National Network Coordinator for the West African Peacebuilding Network in Nigeria, Bridget Osakwe described the exclusion as “unacceptable”, noting that women and girls make up a significant proportion of those affected by the insurgency.
“In these camps, women are not there by choice. They are used as sex slaves, forced into marriage and even employed as suicide bombers; yet, when rehabilitation opportunities arrive, they are cast aside.”
While some women are supported through humanitarian agencies such as UNICEF, stakeholders argue that this response is fragmented and insufficient compared to the structured support provided under Operation Safe Corridor.
The issue, she said, goes beyond policy gaps and reflects broader social norms that marginalize women and a deeper reflection of systemic discrimination and structural abuse of women in society.
While the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs has been identified as the lead institution on gender-related issues, stakeholders stress that responsibility must extend to government and security agencies.
He said: “Key among these is the Office of the National Security Adviser which oversees Operation Safe Corridor, as well as other ministries involved in the implementation of Nigeria’s commitments under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.”
She also emphasized the protection and inclusion of women in conflict resolution and post-conflict recovery.
Referring to the Beijing Platform for Action, in particular its focus on women and armed conflict, to highlight the urgency of addressing the issue, she said: “There must be intentional inclusion. Leaving this responsibility with just one ministry risks further marginalization. All relevant actors must work together to ensure that women receive equal access to support for rehabilitation and reintegration.”
It warned that failure to address these gaps could undermine national security efforts and delay sustainable peace, as affected women remain without adequate support, recognition or reintegration pathways.
Dauda Garuba, country director of the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), said that the OPSC has so far achieved its intended objective of providing an exit corridor for low-profile insurgents enlisted in Boko Haram.
However, he stated that, like any other disarmament, rehabilitation and reintegration program in conflict environments, the female gender is obviously taken for granted.
“We must be determined to ensure that the OPSC program is inclusive to achieve a more lasting solution to its original intent.”
Planned review by the military
Military authorities have signaled plans to review and potentially expand rehabilitation and deradicalization efforts for individuals linked to rebel groups, including greater inclusion of women in structured programs.
Speaking on the progress of the ongoing rehabilitation initiatives, the OPSC National Coordinator, Brigadier General Yusuf Ali, at the CDD media talk in Abuja, acknowledged that the program initially faced teething problems, particularly around coordination, transparency and determining best practices for the management of female participants.
However, he noted that reforms have improved accountability and operational effectiveness over time.
Management of the women and children, he explained, was largely overseen by state governments with support from UNICEF, which provides specialized expertise in their care and rehabilitation.
However, she indicated that recommendations to create more structured rehabilitation spaces for women will be considered by the National Steering Committee in collaboration with other agencies.
He stressed that anyone exposed to extremist environments, whether voluntarily or otherwise, requires a systematic rehabilitation process.
According to him, exposure to violence, trauma and extremist ideology can have lasting psychological effects, making psychosocial therapy and deradicalization crucial before reintegration into society.
As part of transparency efforts, he assured that journalists will soon be granted access to observe operations at Camp Malam Sidi. The visit, he said, will coincide with the graduation of a new group of rehabilitated participants, coordinated by the Department of Media Operations under the directives of the Chief of Defense Staff.
He explained that community acceptance remains a challenge due to lingering resentment among populations affected by the insurgency, adding that emotions such as fear and anger persist, especially among victims.
Overcoming challenges
However, he noted that hostility has gradually diminished thanks to continued engagement efforts, as he explained that programs led by organizations such as the International Organization for Migration have played a key role in facilitating reintegration.
Some of these programs include community awareness campaigns, family tracing, and pre-reintegration meetings that reconnect participants with relatives before their return.
He also addressed concerns about why people who voluntarily surrender are still detained, explaining that such measures are necessary to provide rehabilitation, including trauma counseling and deradicalization, regardless of how people entered insurgent environments.
According to him, recent reforms include the introduction of audiovisual counter-narrative tools designed to challenge extremist ideologies in controlled contexts.
Such innovations, he further noted, are supported by international partners, including the European Union, who are helping to improve outcomes. He also highlighted that discussions are ongoing on extending the duration of rehabilitation programmes.
Despite the progress, he identified misinformation and public perception as major challenges, adding that negative narratives about the program could undermine its success if not countered with accurate information, while underlining that public understanding is essential to support both kinetic and non-kinetic efforts in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency strategy.
Recommendations
Within the recommendations, therefore, it was noted that there is a need for more practical and tangible recommendations such as the implementation of systematic, multifactorial and women-centred programmes, coupled with localized deradicalisation efforts that take into account Northern Nigeria’s cultural practices and customs.
It noted, for example, the creation of Operation Safe Corridor for Women, which provides a deliberate, government-led strategy that recognizes the role and experiences of women in the insurgency ensuring lasting peace in northern Nigeria.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, in collaboration with other women-focused initiatives, should be led by women towards deradicalization.
