Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, in partnership with the World Bank Group in Nigeria, hosted a high-level National Dialogue on Ending Gender-based Violence (GBV) in Abuja and Lagos, to mark the end of its 2025 initiative and the "16 Days of Activism" campaign.
The event brought together government officials, development partners, private sector, civil society, traditional and faith leaders, and the media to strengthen efforts against violence towards women and girls.
In her keynote address, the minister, Hajiya Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, represented by permanent secretary, Mrs. Esuabana Nko Asanye, said violence now extends beyond physical spaces into women's thoughts and privacy.
She called for unified action to eliminate all forms of violence--offline, online, at home, and in workplaces--and emphasized the huge economic and societal costs of GBV, including alarming statistics such as 31% of women aged 15-49 experiencing physical violence and a 45% rise in technology-facilitated abuse.
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The minister reaffirmed government commitments under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, including the domestication of the VAPP Act in 35 states and the FCT, strengthening the national GBV strategy, expanding survivor support initiatives, launching new programmes like Digital Harmony, and operationalizing the National GBV Data Situation Room to inform policy decisions.
World Bank Nigeria country director Mr. Mathew Verghis stressed that GBV hampers economic and human development across Africa, affecting
productivity, labour participation, and strained health and justice
systems. He reaffirmed the World Bank's focus on ending all forms of
GBV as a core development goal, urging collective commitment to
ensuring safety and equality for women and girls.
Mrs. Blessing Anunike, director of Women Development, emphasized the
importance of national coordination, survivor-centered policies, and
evidence-based programmes. Stakeholders agreed to accelerate reforms
such as enhancing survivor support, faster prosecution, improved data
collection, community awareness, stricter online safety penalties, and
increased women-focused financing.
The dialogue served as both a policy platform and a call to sustain
momentum beyond the 16 Days of Activism, reinforcing Nigeria's
commitment to ending gender-based violence and promoting gender
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equality nationwide.
