UN Women has called on traditional rulers across Nigeria to intensify efforts to end Gender-Based Violence (GBV), particularly emerging forms of technology-facilitated abuse that increasingly threaten women and girls both online and within communities.
The appeal was made on Tuesday in Abuja during the National Convening of Traditional Leaders on GBV Prevention, held as part of activities marking the 2025 Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, warned that violence against women was evolving rapidly, with digital platforms becoming new avenues for harassment, exploitation and intimidation. She said these emerging threats required stronger, coordinated preventive action.
Eyong, represented by the organizations Deputy Country Representative, Patience Ekeoba, noted that traditional rulers remained crucial as custodians of culture and authority, capable of driving reforms, strengthening accountability and championing community-based GBV prevention.
She commended the Minister of Women Affairs and the Federal Capital Territory Administration for their leadership in gender equality and continued support toward women’s rights and protection systems.
Citing national survey findings, Eyong said millions of Nigerian women still faced harmful cultural practices and various forms of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, stressing the need for sustained national efforts to prevent violence.
She highlighted progress in Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Enugu and Cross River States, where traditional leaders—supported by government and development partners—had abolished child marriage, widowhood rites and female genital mutilation. These, she said, demonstrated that cultural transformation was possible when tradition aligned with justice and dignity.
Mandate Secretary of the FCTA Women Affairs Secretariat, Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, said the convening provided an opportunity to redefine GBV at cultural, traditional and institutional levels. She described traditional rulers as “transformers and cultural gatekeepers” capable of reshaping norms, challenging harmful silence and strengthening community protection systems.
Benjamins-Laniyi reaffirmed the FCTA’s commitment to sustaining partnerships that prevent violence, support survivors and advance the Humanity Project—an initiative aimed at strengthening social justice, community protection and collective wellbeing.
Convener-General of COTLA, Haliru Yahaya-Ndanusa, reiterated traditional rulers’ dedication to ending practices that inflict physical, emotional or digital harm. He said palaces could also serve as safe havens for vulnerable girls and survivors of abuse.
He added that traditional institutions, when united, wield the influence needed to discourage child marriage, protect survivors and promote responsible digital conduct among young people.
