50% of Nigerians Unaware of Law Prohibiting Gender-based Violence, Says Invictus Africa

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Invictus Africa, an organisation that advocates inclusive policies, equity and institutional accountability, has expressed worry that the law on Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) is yet to make reasonable impact a decade after its enactment.

It said a recent survey conducted across the country showed that only about 49.3 per cent of Nigerians had ever heard of the VAPP law.

According to the group, 10 years after the enactment of VAPP Act in Nigeria, most states are yet to commence full implementation of the law.

While presenting its report yesterday in Abuja, Executive Director of Invictus Africa, Bukky Shonibare, said the survey report showed that public awareness about the law had remained low just as its implementation across the states.

Shonibare said while 23 of the 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had established sex offenders’ registers, only 18 had integrated them into broader gender-based violence tracking systems.

She further said although 32 states authorised courts to issue protection orders, 19 could not provide issuance data highlighting critical monitoring gaps.

She also said funding constraints existed for implementation of free gender-based violence related medical care in most of the states.

With regard to coordination, the report said out of 36 states, 27 had designated enforcement bodies for the VAPP law.

Shonibare said despite its shortcomings, VAPP Act could serve as a legislative foundation for combating violence in Nigeria.

She stated, “However, a consistent pattern emerges from the survey data: laws have been passed, but implementation is uneven, underfunded, and inaccessible to many, especially those in rural areas and with lower education levels.

“To close the gap between law and lived reality, Invictus Africa calls for urgent, strategic action in four priority areas: Scaling up inclusive public awareness campaigns to ensure that every Nigerian, regardless of background, knows their rights under the VAPP law.”

Shonibare explained, “Strengthening enforcement systems by enhancing legal accountability, improving data collection, and ensuring penalties are enforced, expanding survivor support services that are accessible, holistic, and sustainably financed, institutionalizing coordination mechanisms through structured roles, guidelines, and interagency collaboration.

“Laws are only as powerful as their implementation. A decade after the VAPP Act, we must move from intention to action – from passage to protection. This data gives us the clarity we need to build a safer, more just Nigeria or all.”

Acting Director in the Department of Violence Against Persons, Tolu Odugbesan, who represented Director General of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), said the agency had intensified its advocacy and enforcement against all forms gender violence.

Odugbesan assured that NAPTIP was ready to collaborate with other stakeholders in ensuring effective implementation of VAPP Act.