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Nigeria to establish GBV safe spaces in all 774 local government areas
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

Nigeria to establish GBV safe spaces in all 774 local government areas

From Premium Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The Nigerian federal government will establish dedicated safe spaces in all 774 local government areas to support survivors of gender-based violence (GBV).
  • The initiative, part of a national action plan, aims to improve access to care, protection, and justice for survivors, with regional centers offering integrated medical, legal, and psychosocial services.
  • The government is concerned about rising GBV cases, noting that only 4% of reported cases result in prosecution, with women and girls disproportionately affected.

Nigeria's federal government plans to create dedicated safe spaces in all 774 local government areas to bolster support for gender-based violence (GBV) survivors. The initiative, announced by Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, is a key component of an upcoming national action plan.

A core component of this upcoming national action plan is the strategic establishment of dedicated safe spaces across all 774 local government areas in Nigeria to decentralize immediate care and protection.

— Imaan Sulaiman-IbrahimExplaining the initiative to establish safe spaces for GBV survivors.

These safe spaces aim to decentralize immediate care and protection, allowing survivors to access essential services closer to their communities. The government is also developing regional mega-protection centers that will offer integrated medical, legal, psychosocial, and rehabilitation services under one roof. Additionally, a "Women on Wheels" initiative will deploy mobile support teams to reach underserved communities with trauma-informed care.

These centres will provide medical, legal, psychosocial and rehabilitation services under one roof to support recovery and access to justice.

— Imaan Sulaiman-IbrahimDescribing the integrated services to be offered at regional mega-protection centers.

Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim expressed deep concern over the escalating GBV rates, reporting 2,755 cases between January and April 2026, averaging about 23 daily. She highlighted a critical accountability gap, with only 4% of formally reported cases leading to successful prosecution. Women and girls constitute over 81% of documented survivors, and sexual violence accounts for 82% of recorded incidents, underscoring the urgent need for stronger protection and justice mechanisms.

Through Women on Wheels, we will take trauma-informed care, psychosocial support and essential services closer to women and girls who need them most.

— Imaan Sulaiman-IbrahimDetailing the reach of the mobile support teams initiative.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Premium Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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