A new gender equality bill, proposing that men and women inherit equal shares, has been struck down by Nigeria’s most senior Muslim cleric. Mohamed Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, ensured that Muslims would not accept such a violation of Islamic law that guarantees men a greater share. However, Nigeria is nearly equally split with Muslims and Christians. Christian Nigerian citizens are advocating for the bill, stating that their religion permits equal inheritance. A similar bill was rejected back in March by Nigeria’s senate upon noting its incompatibility with Nigerian culture and religious beliefs.
See Nigeria’s Sultan of Sokoto Rejects Gender Equality Bill, BBC News, December 28, 2016.
