The federal government has announced plans to establish an emergency gender-based violence response fund to close Nigeria’s major funding gaps in prevention and survivor support services. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, minister of women affairs, made this known on Monday in Abuja during a high-level engagement held to mark the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. The event was organised in partnership with Women for Women International.
She explained that the fund had become urgent because less than 0.5 per cent of the national budget currently goes to GBV prevention and response, leaving safe spaces and support centres struggling. She expressed concern over the increasing attacks on women and girls, including the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Kebbi and Niger States, as well as the kidnapping of six female directors. She described the incidents as a national emergency that highlighted the vulnerability of women across the country.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim said GBV remained one of Nigeria’s most pervasive human rights violations. She cited the National Demographic and Health Survey, which showed that 28 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 had faced physical violence, while 40 per cent had suffered emotional abuse. She added that despite more reports being made, the national conviction rate for GBV cases remained below five per cent.
The minister explained that the response fund would be integrated into the ministry’s 9-Pillar Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention Programme. According to her, the initiative aims to strengthen institutions, expand safe spaces, and improve justice delivery through specialised gender desks and courts across all states. She added that the ministry was working to raise the national GBV conviction rate from five per cent to 25 per cent by 2026, alongside plans to establish comprehensive support centres in all senatorial districts.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim applauded recent landmark convictions and called for a compassionate review of Ochanya’s case to ensure justice. She urged government agencies, development partners, civil society groups, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and the media to work with Nigeria’s National Action Plan. Ending GBV, she said, was both a moral duty and a development priority needed for national stability and economic progress.
Beatrice Eyong, UN Women representative in Nigeria, noted that although the country had ratified major conventions and passed laws like the VAPP Act and Child Rights Act, enforcement was still weak. She called for stronger legal implementation to hold perpetrators accountable and for more awareness programmes to help citizens recognise and prevent GBV. Eyong highlighted the importance of response systems, pointing to one-stop centres created through the Spotlight Initiative, saying, “These centres provide integrated services, including legal aid, healthcare, psychosocial support, and economic reintegration for survivors.” She also stressed the roles of traditional leaders and men in prevention efforts, along with the use of technology to strengthen GBV response.
Thelma Ekiyor, CEO of Women for Women International, outlined the group’s Stronger Women, Stronger Nations programme, which offers 12 months of leadership training, economic empowerment, and community engagement. Drawing lessons from 14 conflict-affected countries, she identified five key areas: protection and safety, public awareness, stronger legal enforcement, shelters, and men’s engagement. She said the organisation was ready to partner with the ministry to scale interventions and make Nigeria a model for regional GBV prevention and response.
