The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has disclosed that Nigeria recorded 2,755 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) between January and April this year, with family members and religious leaders emerging as major perpetrators in what officials described as a deepening national protection crisis.
Key Highlights:
The disclosure was made at a National Consultative Workshop on GBV and IPV programming under the Global Fund Grant Cycle 8 (GC8), held in Abuja with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Fund, and several government and development partners.
The workshop, convened in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, NHRC, the National GBV Technical Working Group, UNAIDS, UN Women, UNFPA, and the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), brought together policymakers, civil society actors and international agencies to develop Nigeria’s GBV response framework under the new funding cycle.
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According to the NHRC, the figures were drawn from its Human Rights Observatory, covering both formally reported incidents and cases tracked through alternative reporting channels nationwide.
Of the 2,755 cases recorded, 1,255 were allegedly perpetrated by family members, while 630 were linked to religious leaders—figures the Commission said highlight “disturbing levels of betrayal of trust” within homes and faith-based spaces.
The Commission also attributed part of the rising cases to worsening insecurity across the country, including insurgency in the North-East and banditry in other regions, which it said has heightened vulnerability among women, girls and other at-risk groups.
The Executive Secretary of the NHRC warned that gender-based violence and intimate partner violence must no longer be reduced to statistics, stressing that weak coordination and chronic underfunding continue to undermine Nigeria’s response systems.
“We don’t want to treat them as mere statistics or human rights data. Effective programming requires prevention systems, accessible reporting channels, quality health and psychosocial support services, legal protection, and accountability for perpetrators,” the Commission said.
NHRC further called for stronger integration of human rights safeguards into donor-supported health programming, warning that without sustained investment, policy commitments would remain largely symbolic.
Also speaking at the workshop, the Federal Ministry of Justice said Nigeria’s response to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria is being weakened by stigma, discriminatory practices and gaps within the justice system.
The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Oyedepo Iseoluwa Rotimi, SAN, said HIV transmission in the country remains structurally driven, noting that key populations—estimated at less than five per cent of the population—account for about 40 per cent of new infections.
He argued that criminalisation and stigma continue to push vulnerable groups away from health services.
“When a person who needs HIV testing, PrEP or treatment is afraid to enter a health facility because the law criminalises their existence, the system has not failed—it has been structurally prevented from succeeding,” he said.
Rotimi also raised concerns over tuberculosis prevalence among vulnerable populations, including 20.3 per cent among people who inject drugs and 19.1 per cent among female sex workers, warning that correctional facilities remain “silent hotspots” due to overcrowding and prolonged pre-trial detention.
He added that gender-based violence continues to drive poor health outcomes, citing survey data showing 30 per cent prevalence of sexual violence among women aged 15–49 and 35.9 per cent for intimate partner violence nationwide.
The workshop underscored growing concern among stakeholders over the intersection of GBV, HIV vulnerability and systemic gaps in Nigeria’s health and justice delivery systems.
