The Federal Government, in collaboration with key stakeholders, is set to launch a coordinated national effort to tackle the growing threat of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF-GBV).
Minister of Women Affairs, Sulaiman-Ibrahim, announced the initiative on Monday at a press briefing and orange-lighting ceremony in Abuja to mark the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against GBV.
She warned that online abuses — including sextortion, digital romance scams, cyberstalking, and threats to share intimate content — were inflicting severe emotional harm and, in some cases, leading to fatalities.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim said the ministry would work closely with the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, NITDA, the Nigeria Police, UN agencies, the UK-FCDO, and other development partners to confront the menace.
“The initiative aims to produce a National Roadmap on TF-GBV to strengthen prevention, reporting and accountability, improve digital evidence handling, and ensure stronger protections for women and girls in an increasingly digital society,’’ she said.
She explained that the roadmap, once adopted, would prioritize prevention, survivor protection, structured reporting channels, clear accountability systems, and enhanced digital-forensics capacity.
The minister also announced the introduction of the Happy Woman App, a national digital-literacy and empowerment tool, as well as a partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to advance cybersecurity professionalization for women.
“Additionally, the National Boy-Child Policy has been developed to support boys’ education, psychosocial development and protection from violence.
“The National Child Policy has also been revised to address emerging risks such as digital exploitation, mental-health challenges, climate-related vulnerabilities and conflict exposure,” she added.
UNFPA Deputy Representative, Mr Koessan Kuawu, highlighted the increasing vulnerability of adolescents to online abuse, citing research showing that 97 per cent of girls aged 11–16 in Nigeria had experienced unwanted sexual approaches online, while 89 per cent had received unsolicited sexual images or content.
“The 2024 NDHS also shows that 2 per cent of women aged 15–49 — about 1.2 million women — have experienced TF-GBV,” he said, reaffirming UNFPA’s commitment to supporting safety-by-design principles in technology.
UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Beatrice Eyong, stressed the need for collective action, effective implementation of legal frameworks, and expanded awareness programmes for both women and men.
CEO of Women for Women International, Thelma Ekiyor, called for stronger reporting systems and greater amplification of women’s and girls’ voices to ensure accessible channels for reporting abuse.
The event also featured the orange lighting of the ministry’s headquarters and other national landmarks, symbolizing hope, solidarity and the commitment to a future free of violence.
