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In line with efforts to eliminate harmful cultural practices that discriminate against women and girls, traditional rulers and royal fathers have advocated gender equality, equal treatment, and rights for boys and girls.
They made the appeal at the 2026 Fathers4Equality Recognition Awards and Traditional Leaders Conference organised by the Male Feminist Network, an initiative of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), at an event held on Wednesday in Abuja.
Under the theme, “Redefining Fatherhood for Equality and Justice”, the event brought together traditional rulers and other stakeholders to examine the role of fathers and traditional institutions in promoting gender equality and social justice.
High-profile traditional rulers in attendance included Ochi Idoma, Agaba-Idu Elaigwu Odogbo John, Mai of Machina and 77th Emir of Machina, Bashir Albishir Bukar, Paramount Ruler of Rumuevuorlu Community in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Eze Prof Chris Akani, among many others.
Speaking at the event, the Mai of Machina described the theme as timely, expressing concern over the discrimination and brutal treatment women face in some societies.
He urged participants to take the lessons from the conference back to their communities and translate them into practical action, stressing that the impact of such initiatives would be measured by what participants did after returning home.
Bukar said all human beings are created equal and should enjoy equal rights irrespective of religious or other differences, adding: “We should, as fathers, play the role of equality between both sexes.”
The traditional ruler also called for equal educational opportunities for boys and girls, pleading with parents to ensure that their daughters were not denied opportunities available to their sons.
While enjoining traditional rulers to serve as role models to children and young people in their communities, he said that their conduct and decisions could influence the attitudes of their subjects.
Also in his goodwill message, the Paramount Ruler of Rumuevuorlu Community in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Eze Prof Chris Akani, commended the organisers for recognising traditional rulers for their contributions to gender equality and justice.
Akani said the recognition was an indication that the country was moving in the direction of greater awareness and acceptance of gender equality.
Recalling his decision, years before becoming a traditional ruler, he said that he promoted the education of girls, particularly against cultural expectations that placed marriage ahead of formal education for women.
According to him, “my resolve was strengthened by my mother’s experience after she was withdrawn from school.”
“The experience influenced my decision to ensure that my own children, including my two daughters, received the same encouragement to pursue higher education as my sons. I have encouraged my daughters to pursue doctoral degrees in commemoration of my mother.”
“My daughters are currently PhD students working towards defending their theses in fields including statistics, French and African literature,” he said, announcing that he has urged parents in his community to prioritise education for both boys and girls.
While warning against seeking substandard jobs for girls simply because they were female, he said: “My slogan in my community is: make sure you are well educated. Don’t look for a substandard job for girls.”
Akani also urged traditional rulers to use their positions to promote positive values and provide equal opportunities for children, regardless of gender.
In his remarks, the Centre LSD Executive Director, Otive Igbuzor, said that the programme actually achieved the targeted objective of ensuring equality between both genders.
The conference also featured a keynote address by the royal father of the day, Agaba-Idu Elaigwu, titled “The Role of Traditional Institutions in Transforming Harmful Gender and Cultural Norms.”
