Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, announces new measures to tackle Gender-Based Violence as the Federal Government declares the rising cases a national emergency
The Federal Government has declared Gender-Based Violence (GBV) a national emergency, revealing that only four per cent of 2,755 cases reported across Nigeria between January and April 2026 were successfully prosecuted.
Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, disclosed this in Abuja during the signing of a partnership agreement to establish a rehabilitation centre for survivors of gender-based violence.
According to the minister, the recorded cases translate to about 23 incidents daily, with females accounting for 81 per cent of survivors. She added that sexual violence made up 82 per cent of reported cases, mostly involving girls aged 10 to 14.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim blamed the low prosecution rate on structural bottlenecks and warned that Nigeria must intensify efforts to prevent violence and protect victims.
She said the country currently has only 50 shelter and support centres, a figure she described as inadequate for Nigeria’s population.
As part of efforts to strengthen support for survivors, the Ministry of Women Affairs, the New Era Foundation and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency signed an agreement to convert the Patient’s Home in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, into a Women’s Support and Rehabilitation Home.
The facility will provide temporary shelter, mental health services, trauma care, legal assistance and economic empowerment programmes for survivors.
The minister also disclosed that the government is validating a National Action Plan on GBV under the Renewed Hope Agenda to strengthen prevention, protection and response mechanisms nationwide.
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