The Federal Government has revealed that no fewer than 10,326 gender-based violence (GBV) cases were recorded across Nigeria between January and September 2025, with 2,444 survivors receiving medical and psychosocial care at designated recovery centers nationwide.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imam Suleiman-Ibrahim, disclosed this on Friday at the National Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TF-GBV), organized by ActionAid Nigeria and other development partners in Abuja.
She was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Adanna Steinacker.
According to the minister, 511 survivors also benefited from economic empowerment and livelihood support interventions within the period.
Citing the 2024 National Demographic and Health Survey, the minister noted that although there had been a marginal decline in reported cases of sexual, physical, and intimate partner violence, one in three Nigerian women still experienced some form of GBV.
“Across the country, violence against women, children and vulnerable groups remains a painful reality. Technology-facilitated gender-based violence has remained largely unreported due to its complex nature,” she said.
Suleiman-Ibrahim identified TF-GBV to include online blackmail, sex torture, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and digital manipulation forms of abuse that have caused severe trauma and, in some cases, death.
She announced that the Federal Government had concluded plans to relaunch the National Electronic Dashboard on Gender-Based Violence, a central platform expected to enhance data collection, track trends, and strengthen case management and inter-agency collaboration.
The ministry, she added, would also prioritise the establishment of an Emergency GBV Response Fund, designed to provide stable financial support for shelters, hotlines, emergency services, and the rehabilitation of survivors.
Speaking at the event, Cynthia Rowe, representing the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, called for the adoption of a National Online Gender Safety Policy to coordinate government agencies and improve enforcement of digital protection standards.
Rowe recommended mandatory gender-sensitive cybercrime training for law enforcement officers, the creation of digital abuse courts and protection orders, and stricter obligations for social media platforms including removing harmful content within 48 hours, deploying culturally trained content moderators, and publishing regular transparency reports.
In his remarks, Andrew Mamedu, Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, said the dialogue was designed to deepen national understanding of TF-GBV and strengthen coordination among stakeholders.
According to him, participants would use high-level presentations, panel discussions, and interactive sessions to identify legal and institutional gaps and co-create a National Roadmap for preventing and responding to TF-GBV in Nigeria.
He said the forum aims to generate concrete commitments from government, development partners, and civil society to improve protection, reporting, accountability, and digital safety for women and girls.
