The Federal Government has called on traditional rulers across Nigeria to take a more active role in combating Gender-Based Violence (GBV), emphasizing that the fight cannot be left to government institutions alone.
Speaking at a high-level sensitization forum organized by UN Women in Abuja, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said traditional rulers are uniquely positioned to lead the charge against GBV at the grassroots.
Represented by the Director of Public Prosecution, Mohammed Babadoko, the AGF stressed that: “Justice begins in the community. If cases are hidden, there can be no prosecution. If victims are shamed, there can be no truth. If the powerful are shielded, there can be no justice.”
He urged monarchs to break the culture of silence, reject informal settlements of serious crimes, and collaborate with law enforcement and justice institutions.
Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by Director Sweet Okundaye, lamented the rising tide of GBV despite various legal interventions.
She revealed that over 30,000 cases were reported between 2020 and 2024, with 1 in 3 Nigerian women having faced some form of violence.
“Laws like the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act and the Child Rights Act have been widely adopted, but enforcement, funding, and awareness remain lacking,” she said.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim called for full implementation of legal frameworks, establishment of a National Social Protection Agency, and expansion of safe shelters through public-private collaboration.
UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong—represented by Deputy Country Representative (a.i.), Patience Ekeoba—highlighted that GBV remains one of the world’s most persistent human rights violations. She emphasized that traditional leaders have the moral influence to shift societal norms.
“This is more than a workshop—it is a call to action. Your leadership can dismantle harmful traditions and create safe, equitable communities,” Eyong stated.
The event, supported by the Ford Foundation, is part of a broader push to strengthen community-level responses to GBV through engagement with traditional institutions.
