Coalition of Nigerian Muslim Women Set to Mark 13th World Hijab Day
PEACE Magazine learned the event will feature a lecture on “The Hijab: A Sign of Sisterhood and Unity,” alongside outreach campaigns and mentorship programmes for women and children in IDP camps in Abuja
By Abdullahi Yusuf
For the women behind Nigeria’s World Hijab Day observance, the hijab is not simply a garment or a symbol worn for a day. It is, they say, a lifelong expression of faith and shared identity, one that demands dignity in conduct and solidarity in action.
That message is at the heart of this year’s World Hijab Day activities in Abuja, organised by the Coalition of Nigerian Muslim Women, a network of Muslim women professionals and grassroots groups marking the global event for the 13th time in Nigeria.
The 2026 observance, themed “#UnityInHijab,” reflects what the organisers describe as a growing need for Muslim women to stand together, not only in visible faith expression, but in mentoring, social service and collective advocacy.
In an interview with PEACE Magazine, Hajia Rahmatu Musa Sani, one of the organisers of the Coalition of Nigerian Muslim Women, spoke about the 13th edition of World Hijab Day in Nigeria, its theme, and the work of the coalition in mentoring, educating, and empowering Muslim women.
“Most of us are professionals,” said Sani. “We mentor our female colleagues and younger sisters, ensuring they are good ambassadors of the deen wherever they find themselves.”
Unlike one-day awareness campaigns, the coalition’s work extends into communities often overlooked. Over the years, it has supported education and Islamiyya classes for women and children in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps across parts of Abuja, including Durumi, Karmajiji and Dakwa.
According to the organisers, the coalition pays stipends for Islamiyya teachers in some camps and assists with school levies for displaced children, an effort they say reflects the practical responsibilities that come with wearing the hijab.
“The hijab comes with conduct,” Sani said. “Once a woman steps out in hijab, there is a responsibility to display proper character and avoid social vices. That is part of what we are teaching.”
This year’s programme includes a public lecture titled “The Hijab: A Sign of Sisterhood and Unity,”alongside a press conference and a public awareness campaign in Abuja. But organisers stress that the events are only entry points into a broader conversation.
One recurring concern, they say, is the vulnerability of visibly veiled women to discrimination or harassment, a reality that has surfaced in workplaces, schools and public spaces.
“When such cases are brought to our notice, we follow them through to their logical conclusion,” Sani said, citing past interventions where Muslim women faced exclusion or discrimination.
The coalition also acknowledges internal and external challenges, including limited access to public institutions for outreach programmes, financial constraints and the need for greater media engagement to counter stereotypes.
Despite these hurdles, organisers say unity remains their strongest tool, a value they hope to reinforce through this year’s theme.
“The need for sisters to be united in this striving in faith cannot be overemphasised,” Sani said. “Not just during World Hijab Day activities, but beyond, creating more bonding opportunities and more avenues of service to the ummah and humanity at large.”
For the coalition, World Hijab Day is as much about faith as it is about empowering women, affirming their right to practise their religion fully while contributing meaningfully to society as professionals, mothers and community leaders.
“The goal,” Sani said, “is for women to be allowed to practise the Deen without discrimination, while adding value to society.”
As the events marking the 13th edition kick off in Abuja, the organisers say they hope the message endures beyond the lectures and campaigns: that unity among women of faith is lived through action and shared responsibility.
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