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Rumblings in Plateau over move to recall Lalong, Dafaan, Venman

Published

1 year ago

July 10, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Rumblings in Plateau over move to recall Lalong, Dafaan, Venman

By Mark Longyen

Plateau State has been thrown into political panic mode following a subterranean move by Plateau South senatorial zone’s constituents to recall former Gov Simon Lalong (APC-Plateau South) from the Senate.

Also penciled for recall by the aggrieved constituents are Lalong’s former Chief of Staff, John Dafaan (APC-Shendam, Quaan-Pan, Mikang) and Vincent Venman (APC-Langtang North/South) federal constituencies.

Impeccable sources disclosed that within the past week, over 500,000 constituents had already appended their signatures to initiate the recall of the trio from the National Assembly.

It was learned that about a fortnight ago, the forms for the recall of the three lawmakers were distributed across the six local governments that constitute the senatorial zone, which have now been signed by the constituents.

People familiar with the prevailing political intrigues said that any time this week, the signed forms by constituents from all the polling units will be collated and forwarded by the petitioners’ lawyers alongside their petitions to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Thereafter, INEC is expected to send a team of its officials to the senatorial zone and the two federal constituencies for verification of the signatures.

Once the signatures are verified and confirmed in the various polling units that 50 per cent, plus one, of the total registered voters actually signed the recall forms, then INEC will within a statutory time frame, arrange for a referendum to be conducted to recall the lawmakers.

The referendum simply entails a “yes or no” voting by the constituents on whether to recall the lawmakers or not, which outcome is to be determined by a simple majority to declare a lawmaker automatically recalled or to retain his seat.

The sacking of Sen. Napoleon Bali (PDP-Plateau South, June 2023 to October 2023) by the Court of Appeal had paved the way for Lalong, whom he defeated in the 2023 senatorial election with an unprecedented landslide, to subsequently resign as minister of labour and productivity, to occupy the seat.

A source, who preferred not to be named, said that Bali is championing the recall move, although Bali himself could not independently confirm the latest development.

However, it would be recalled that shortly after his sack late last year, Bali had told newsmen that although as of then, he had not gone back to the senatorial zone after the judgement, he had it on good authority that his aggrieved constituents were already collecting signatures to initiate the recall process.

He had also disclosed that his legal team was weighing various options, including going back to the court to explore any window to review or remedy the injustice done to him and other fellow lawmakers.

According to him, being the victim of the brazen judicial gymnastics, he had the constitutional option of initiating a recall process against those who were brought to office by the Appeal Court judgment, or to live with it for the next three years.

The latest move seems to align with the earlier vow of Bali to unseat Lalong and co, as impeccable sources say plans have reached advanced stage by constituents to recall the embattled lawmakers.

“What the people of Plateau South senatorial district are saying is that they will not allow them.

“I don’t know what they want to do, but I was told reliably that people are already gathering signatures that they must recall them.

“This time around we are going to test INEC and the judiciary that installed them because that is the option we are sure of.

“Like I said, our lawyers are making all efforts to see whether there is a window. I’m not a lawyer; I don’t know how they are going to do it.

“But the one I’m very sure of is that all those who the Appeal Court collected our mandates and gave to them wrongfully, as concluded by the learned justices of the Supreme Court in Gov Mutfang’s case, we are definitely going to recall them.

“When? I will not tell you because it will just come to them as a rude shock.

“For the specifics, I can tell you that in Plateau South, I know that they have gathered over 300,000 signatures to recall Lalong already.

“That is already in the public domain. He is aware, his party, the APC is aware.

“By the time we get the required number of signatures, which is 50 per cent of the total registered voters, it’ll be a done deal, we’ll do it.

“We have the INEC current register; I will not tell you more than this because we keep that one close to our chest.

“As soon as we get the 50 per cent, we are going to write a petition, and our lawyers will follow it up from there to tell INEC to verify.

“Once that is done, INEC will have no option but to conduct a referendum and we take it up from there,” Bali, a retired Air Vice Marshal and fighter pilot, had assured.

Lalong, Dafaan and Venman were roundly defeated by Bali, Rep Isaac Kwallu and Beni Lar, who won the Plateau South, Shendam, Quaan-Pan, Mikang and Langtang North/South House of Reps seats, respectively, during the 2023 National Assembly polls.

Despite being the sitting governor of Plateau State from 2015 to 2023, and Director General of the 2023 Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation, Lalong was humiliated at the polls by Bali, who trounced him with an unprecedented vote margin of about 60,000.

The former governor was comprehensively defeated by Bali in all the 6 local governments that constitute his senatorial zone, including his own Shendam Local Government Area, except in Wase Local Government.

Dafaan was similarly floored by Kwallu in all the three local governments that constitute Shendam, Quaan-Pan, Mikang federal constituency, and in 31 out of the 32 federal wards in the area, including Dafaan’s Kwalla-Moeda federal ward, with an unprecedented vote margin.

Also, perennial winner and political Amazon, Rep Beni Lar (PDP-Langtang North/South was re-elected in the 2023 polls by her constituents following her landslide victory with a very wide margin against APC’s Venman, who was her closest opponent.

However, all the PDP lawmakers’ victories were controversially annulled by the Court of Appeal, on the technical ground that PDP did not have a legitimate political structure that produced them as candidates, thereby, truncating their tenures.

This was notwithstanding the fact that the case was a pre-election matter, which the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain in the first place.

Not a few observers had described the court’s curious decision as being a predetermined judicial compromise, while the Supreme Court later frowned at it and chided the Appeal Court, describing the decision as an act of judicial rascality.

Apparently miffed by the court’s decision to impose on them those who they rejected at the polls like being compelled to swallow unwanted bitter pills, the lawmakers’ constituents have now turned to the constitutionally sanctioned recall option as a last resort.

Reacting to the bid by constituents to recall Lalong and co, the Plateau State chapter of the APC described the action as a wasted effort that was informed by PDP’s “desperation and frustration to remove the lawmakers from their legitimate seats.”

Confirming the recall initiative, the state chapter of the APC in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by its acting Publicity Secretary, Shittu Bamaiyi, described the recall effort as merely a “PDP orchestrated recall campaign, a wild goose chase, and mission impossible.”

“For quite some time now the PDP in the southern part of Plateau State, has embarked on a wild goose chase, in the name of recall campaign against these members of the National Assembly.

“The party has unrelentingly and agonizingly, been cajoling unsuspecting eligible voters to append their signatures on worthless sheet of papers, as a means of recalling Senator Simon Lalong and Chief John Dafaan from the Red and Green Chambers, respectively.

“The desperation and frustration of the PDP seem to know no bounds, to the extent that the party is so blinded to the constitutional requirements of initiating, as well as embarking on such a herculean exercise,” the APC stated.

According to the party, the PDP has thrown caution and decorum to the winds by embarking on the recall process against the lawmakers.

“By using all sorts of shenanigans and deceits to cow people into appending their names on papers, under the pretext of making them enjoy some palliatives and loans from the federal government as well as the state governments.

“Though the unsuspecting electorate have been suspicious of the promises, and taking them with the pinch of salt, the hirelings assigned the responsibility of the misadventure, have unblushingly continued to move round all the nooks and cranny of the Southern zone to collect signatures for the futile exercise.

“It is unfortunate that the PDP could condescend to that level of desperation, when viewed from the prism of civility and propriety, as well as considering the fact that, the legislators in question have hardly spent one year in their respective chambers,” the APC further said.

“Unarguably, a recall exercise is an electoral and constitutional process which can be initiated against wanting or incompetent legislators as the case may be, there must always be overwhelming justification for such a cause.

“Undoubtedly, the narcissistic attitude of the PDP will certainly come to naught, sooner than later, because from all indications, the legislators are at the moment, enjoying the support of their constituents not withstanding their short stay in the National Assembly.

“In addition, the APC as a party, and other interest groups, are closely monitoring events as they unfold, with a view to checkmating the misadventure.

“Without any fear of the unknown, the campaign is surely going to be a mission impossible and a disgrace at the end of it all,” Bamaiyi added.

When contacted for comments on the development, Rep. Kwallu, one of the lawmakers sacked by the Court of Appeal and Dafaan’s predecessor, confirmed that the recall move by the constituents was true.

He explained that the recall process is provided for in the Nigerian constitution, which empowers constituents to recall their elected representative at any time, stressing that there is no cause for alarm.

Jimmy Lar, a political gladiator from the senatorial zone, while commenting on the APC’s statement describing the recall process as a desperate move by PDP, justified the ground for the initiative.

He asked rhetorically: “Who is the desperate one between someone who stole what doesn’t belong to him or her and the one who is making all lawful efforts to recover his or her stolen item?

“It’s the right of an owner to go to any length to recover his stolen property.

“When you are robbed, you tell people, approach the lawful authorities and take all necessary measures to recover your stolen items from the robber(s).

“Whether or not you are able to bring the thief to justice is not for the thief to decide, it’s for time to decide,” he said.

Simon Shindai, a lawyer, constituent, and APC member, while confirming that he was fully aware of the recall bid, alleged that some stakeholders, mostly from the state’s ruling PDP, were behind the recall move.

According to him, some PDP chieftains are strategizing, working round the clock, and leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the recall agenda is carried out seamlessly to achieve the desired result within the next six to twelve months, and warned the APC not to treat the issue with kid gloves.

“It is not a joke because it is a serious constitutional matter that is outlined in the 1999 Constitution, so once these processes are met, then INEC will definitely go ahead and conduct a referendum, which outcome could be a big shocker for the lawmakers in question,” he said.

Also commenting on the issue, Alhassan Barde, an APC supporter, said that APC as a political party that knows and has tasted power, and is still in power at the centre and elsewhere, should do more than just mere press statements.

“The party should be strategic in handling critical matters that are pending and have been left unadressed, matters that have emerged (like the one at hand), and those at the horizon with the potential to affect its present structure, and the chances that lie ahead for greater fortunes.

“Remember, your opponent in whatever contest, would employ and deploy all manner of tactics to rattle and weaken your immune system and then launch attacks on your defence mechanisms.

“All that we are doing is a clarion call to APC to wake up now, and do something about it,” he said.

Lalong, while reacting to the recall move by his constituents, through his Legislative aide, Hon. Exodus Pyennap, acknowledged being aware of it but described the initiative as an effort in futility that is baseless and dead on arrival.

He said that the first requirement for a recall process to be considered by INEC is for the constituent petitioners to have a solid ground for the recall, such as failure, misconduct, corruption, non-performance or some sort of official misdemeanor against their representative, which are all unfounded in the instant case.

“So, the entire hullabaloo is an effort that is baseless and futile, INEC will not even bother to act on it,” Lalong said.

Lar and Dafaan could not immediately be reached for comments on the issue as of the time of filing this report. Dafaan did not answer or return the several phone calls made to him.

Rumblings in Plateau over move to recall Lalong, Dafaan, Venman

Related Topics:Dafaan Rumblings in Plateau over move to recall Lalong Venman

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AFS ADVOCATES FOR GENDER PERSPECTIVES IN THE USE OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN NIGERIA

Published

2 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

AFS ADVOCATES FOR GENDER PERSPECTIVES IN THE USE OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN NIGERIA

By: Michael Mike

An international non-governmental organisation, Avocats Sans Frontieres (ASF) France has revealed that no fewer than 82 female Nigerians are currently on death row in various correctional centres across the country even as it advocated for gender perspective in application of death penalty.

The advocacy was made at the two-day workshop organised by ASF to champion the course of the female inmates who are on death row as the World Women’s Rights Organisation celebrates in Abuja the 16 Days Advocacy on Gender Based Violence.

At the workshop themed: “Capacity-building Session on Mainstreaming Gender Perspective in the Use of the Death Penalty” the Country Director, ASF France in Nigeria, Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu said the statistics showed that the situation in Nigeria is the highest in sub-Saharan Africa, with those on death row somehow neglected and forgotted.

Uzoma-Iwuchukwu further said: “We strongly believe that these women, who have often been neglected, forgotten, because they are behind bars and on death row need a voice, we have decided to raise their voices and their peculiar circumstances.

“And this is because there are gender issues around the application of the capital punishment. It is often projected as being neutral, but the death penalty is not neutral.

“There are gender biases all across the criminal justice system, starting from the point of arrest, conviction and even incarceration of women who are facing the death penalty,” she said.

She added that “a lot of these women are victims of domestic violence who often when they react and it leads to maybe homicide cases, the criminal justice system fails to recognise them as victims as they go through the justice system.”

She went on to say, what we see in practice in Nigeria is that women are subjected to further brutality and gender biases within the set-up.

She said: “And we argue that these women are in fact convicted and tried for more than their crimes.

“They are tried for more than the crimes that they have committed. They are tried for being women who dared to commit crimes.

“And this is the gender bias, some of the gender bias that we see. There are several other issues that pertain to women and we see that they are not in any way taken into account.

“Now a lot of these women, we see issues around poverty, cross-cutting issues around poverty and how this affects women.”

In the same vein, the Founder and Chief Facilitator, Edeika Trauma Care Centre and Equity Advocates, Mrs. Ene Ede, emphatically kicked against Death Penalty in all forms. She believed life is sacred.

She said: “Anything that has to do with taking life is of utmost important to God, to humanity, to nature and to our country because, it is about deflection of human resources, it is about grieving, it is about injustice because most of the time you find element of injustice embedded in this life sentencing. So it is very problematic. If we look at it with another eye, the better for us. It is not something we should be in hurry to do.

“Therefore, it will be better to abolish death penalty in Nigeria. That is not to say we want to encourage criminality, even with the law in place there is escalation of criminality. We need to look at the justice system again with human eye, with empathy, with patriotism, because it is citizens and human beings they are dealing with and not animals”

Ene said life is too delicate to be toy with, adding that we should look at the area of the law that makes us vulnerable, that the level of its vulnerabilities is too high.

AFS ADVOCATES FOR GENDER PERSPECTIVES IN THE USE OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN NIGERIA

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Inaugural MOFI Award to Promote Excellence in Corporate Governance- Takang

Published

3 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Inaugural MOFI Award to Promote Excellence in Corporate Governance- Takang

By: Michael Mike

The maiden edition of the MOFI Excellence Awards to promote excellence in corporate governance and performance across Federal Government-owned and Linked Enterprises is scheduled for 2026.

The Managing Director of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Dr Amstrong Takang, who announced this at the formal unveiling in Abuja on Wednesday, said the awards would deepen the culture of good corporate governance, transparency, and accountability in the public sector of the nation’s economy.

Takang said the awards initiative, which follows the MOFI Corporate Governance Scorecard launched early this year as a part of its ongoing reform agenda, would recognise outstanding performance as well as redefine governance as a strategic asset driving transparency, accountability, and long-term value creation in government-owned entities.

He noted that MOFI Corporate Governance Scorecard revolves around key pillars that reflect global best practices adapted to Nigeria’s context, including effectiveness and independence of boards; robust control and risk management environment; strategic alignment and performance management; quality and timeliness of financial reporting and disclosure; and emerging issues of environmental, social and governance (ESG) as well as innovation, stakeholder engagement and sustainability.

He stated that MOFI believes that no strong economy would emerge without strong institutions, adding that strengthening the backbone of public institutions, by incentivising them to adopt best practices, would strengthen the entire nation’s economic outlook.

He disclosed that in the run-up to the awards next year, the process would involve the submission of documentation and data by portfolio companies required for their performance scorecard assessments and review of established criteria by an independent consultant and other experts.

He said once the technical review is completed, the consolidated findings through an evidence-based process would be presented to an Awards Panel tasked with the responsibility of providing independent oversight, by reviewing score distributions, and confirming entities that meet the threshold for recognition in each category.

Takang said: “What the Excellence Awards is building is the combination of a national Corporate Governance Scorecard for SOEs (state-owned enterprises) and an independently adjudicated excellence awards programme to serve as a model for other jurisdictions and as a reference point for investors and partners looking for credible signals of reform.”

To select the entities qualified for the awards, an independent panel, made up of individual experts and representatives of institutions renowned for promoting good governance, was inaugurated on Wednesday.

Members include representatives of the Financial Reporting Council, the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria, the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria Exchange Group and the Chartered Risk Management Institute.

Inaugurating the panel, the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, charged its members to make the awards a model of transparency and impact, to help deepen the culture of good corporate governance, transparency and accountability.
The integrity of the awards, the Minister pointed out, was dependent on the integrity of members of the panel responsible for judging and selecting prospective honourees.

He said MOFI Awards, which is open to all government-owned portfolios companies under MOFI management, would ultimately become the standard for corporate governance, transparency, accountability and integrity in the country over time.

“Your roles are pivotal in overseeing a transparent and rigorous process by ensuring the highest standard of institutional performance. We want to see that companies are not only run efficiently, but run according to the rule of law, sanctity of contracts, and regulations, and that they are timely with their financial reporting. There must be an open and independent process that must be merit-based,” he said.

He said the MOFI Excellence Awards was conceived to promote corporate governance excellence, high institutional performance, and strategic alignment across MOFI’s portfolio of public enterprises to spotlight on those boards and management teams that exemplify transparency, accountability, and strong performance.

He revealed the intention of the government would be to recognise agencies and their leaders who demonstrate high standards of transparency, accountability, and performance in managing public assets.

Edun said: “By doing so, we send a clear message that good governance and results will be rewarded, and that every entity under MOFI should strive towards the highest ideals of service and stewardship.”

He described the initiative as part of MOFI’s core mandate as the asset manager for the Federal Government charged with the responsibility of ensuring that government investments and state-owned enterprises were managed prudently and professionally.

In his response after the inauguration, the Chairman of the panel, who is also the Chairman/CEO of the J. K. Randle Group, a chartered audit, finance, tax, and accounting advisory firm, Bashorun J. K. Randle, expressed appreciation to the government for the confidence reposed in its members to serve.

Randle, who is also the former Chief Executive and Chairman of KPMG Nigeria and former Chairman of KPMG Africa, said the panel would do a good job to justify the confidence.

He said the composition of the panel with persons and entities with diverse perspectives and reputations for integrity would ensure that its evaluations would be independent, credible, and beyond reproach.

The MOFI Excellence Awards, the Chairman explained, would recognise and celebrate state-owned enterprises that demonstrate outstanding corporate governance, prudent risk management, sound ESG practices, and overall operational excellence.

He added that entities that have shown significant improvement over time, by incentivising everyone to attain those standards, while highlighting gaps and providing support to strengthen them, would also be recognised and rewarded.

“We want to send a clear message across the public sector that transparency, accountability and performance will be noticed and rewarded. We also want to foster a healthy sense of competition and peer learning among our portfolio companies,” he said.

In another development, the Managing Director and CEO of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Dr. Armstrong Takang, has dismissed the notion that the government should not be involved in the business of driving economic growth in the country.

He described this view as a fallacy, asserting that governments at all levels play a critical role in the development of any nation.

Takang highlighted that countries like China have proven that government intervention in the economy, alongside private sector participation, can lead to success. He emphasized that this is the kind of capitalism Nigeria should aim for.

He cited Singapore Airlines, which has been owned by a government agency similar to MOFI, as an example of a successful state-owned enterprise. The airline has remained a leader in global aviation for decades, showcasing the potential of government involvement in business.

“The government has a pivotal role to play because of its sovereign status and its ability to access resources that the private sector can’t,” Takang explained. “There are certain amounts of capital the government can mobilize where private companies simply don’t have access.”

He added that: “It’s a fallacy to suggest that only the private sector can grow businesses. At MOFI, we believe the government can leverage its sovereign status to drive business and create opportunities for the private sector, especially where they lack the necessary capital. The private sector still needs the government. And we believe state-owned enterprises have a significant role to play in the economy.”

Takang also discussed the MOFI Excellence Awards, which aim to foster a culture of governance, excellence, and performance in state-owned enterprises. The awards will serve as a tool to evaluate corporate governance, track contributions to GDP, job creation, and other economic sectors, and encourage these enterprises to prioritize impact and accountability.

“We want state-owned enterprises to perform at their best, and that’s why we introduced the MOFI Excellence Awards,” Takang said, adding. “The goal is to provide a framework for assessing these organizations and ensuring they contribute positively to the economy.”

He noted that some of MOFI’s portfolio businesses have already begun prioritizing dividend payments, signaling a shift toward better performance and accountability.

“By institutionalizing these awards, we are creating a culture of excellence in corporate governance,” he added.

Inaugural MOFI Award to Promote Excellence in Corporate Governance- Takang

News

ActionAid: 45% women in Nigeria experience cyberstalking

Published

19 hours ago

December 5, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

ActionAid: 45% women in Nigeria experience cyberstalking

By: Michael Mike

ActionAid Nigeria has decried that 45 percent of women in Nigeria have experienced cyberstalking.

It further lamented that also 10.6 percent is said to have faced doxing, which is revealing a person’s private information online to expose them to harm.

UN Women, alongside members of the Development Partners Group on Gender (DPGG) including ActionAid Nigeria, Plan International Nigeria, GIZ, TETRATECH SPRING, and CARE International in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, convened a landmark National Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TF-GBV) in Abuja.

Held as a flagship event of the 2025 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the dialogue brought together a broad coalition of government institutions, development partners, technology companies, law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations, digital rights groups, and survivor advocates to address the rapidly growing threat of violence against women and girls in online and digital spaces.

Technology-facilitated GBV ranging from cyber-harassment, non-consensual image sharing, online stalking, digital blackmail, hate speech, and exploitation—continues to escalate in Nigeria, yet reporting pathways remain unclear, institutional mandates overlapping, and coordination across sectors insufficient to match the complexity of digital harms.

The Civil Society Organisation, ActionAid Nigeria also revealed that women and girls especially activists, journalists, politicians, and influencers are major victims of high levels of technology-facilitated gender based violence.

Niri Goyit, Women activist and Programme Manager for Women’s Rights, ActionAid Nigeria, reeled out the data on Friday in Abuja at a National Multi-Stakeholders Dialogue on Technology-Facilitated Gender Based Violence, which was part of the #16daysofactivism 2025.

Goyit in her technical presentation: an overview of TF-GBV trends in Nigeria, listed patriarchal norms, low digital literacy, weak enforcement of online harassment laws, platform moderation gaps, and rapid spread of smartphones/apps as some of the drivers of T-FGBV in the country.

She noted that: “In Nigeria, 45% of women have experienced cyberstalking, especially women in public roles, and 10.6% have faced doxing.”

She stated further that: “Nigeria’s internet adoption has grown faster than the safeguards needed to protect users. Survivors as young as fourteen now seek help. Women in public life face coordinated attacks and gendered misinformation.”

She noted that local data shows that many women have experienced cyberstalking or doxing while thousands of sextortion linked accounts were removed by platforms.

She added that: “In Nigeria, digital spaces mirror offline gender power structures Women and girls—especially activists, journalists, politicians, and influencers—face high levels of threats, coordinated harassment, image-based abuse, and doxing.”

She also stated that: “Women and girls across all ages are affected, but some groups face heightened vulnerability: dolescent girls (12–17) and young women (18–35) due to early, frequent social media use and limited control over privacy.

Other vulnerable groups are Women in public roles — journalists, activists, politicians, influencers.

The aim, according to the activist is to silence or discredit them.

On the impact of TF-GBV on victims, Goyit said it includes withdraw or self-censor, reducing women’s civic participation and economic opportunities.

“TFGBV affects survivors in several ways. Emotionally it causes fear, anxiety and trauma. Socially many withdraw from relationships or communities due to shame. Economically some lose jobs or avoid opportunities. Online threats also escalate into physical danger especially when private information is exposed,” she explained further.

She blamed systemic challenges for low implementation of the laws against TF-GBV, saying “Several challenges stand in the way. Laws have not kept pace with digital realities. Many officers do not have the skills to handle digital evidence. Society often dismisses online abuse as jokes. Platforms act slowly and case management systems are weak. These issues combined create major obstacles for survivors.”

Noting the challenges, the ActionAid officer urged for collaboration among all stakeholders.

She stressed that “No single institution can handle TFGBV alone. Government agencies must provide clear pathways for reporting and investigation. Law enforcement needs support from digital experts. SARCs must connect with cybercrime units. Civil society offers survivor centred approaches while technology companies must improve takedowns and cooperation. When all actors work together survivors are protected more effectively.”

She however said: “Nigeria does not need entirely new laws that will take years to pass. The country can update the laws it already has to match today’s digital realities. Real progress will come from collaboration, clarity and survivor centred systems. When institutions adapt and work together Nigeria can build a safer digital environment for all.”

In his goodwill Message, the Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Mr. Andrew Mamedu reiterated the commitment of AAN to ending all forms of GBV including TF-GBV.

He also called on all the stakeholders to join in preventing the menace.

Mamedu who was represented by Goyit said: “At ActionAid Nigeria, our commitment to ending all forms of GBV including TF-GBV—remains firm.

“We work in communities to challenge harmful norms, support survivors, strengthen access to justice, engage men and boys, and build the capacity of women-led organisations.

“We recognise both the opportunities and risks of digital platforms, and we remain committed to ensuring that technology empowers rather than harms women and girls.”

He therefore urged all partners—government, civil society, private sector, media, development partners, and community leaders—to renew their shared commitment to preventing and responding to all forms of GBV.

Special Adviser to the President on Women’s Health, Dr. Adanna Steinaker, representing the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that:

“As technology evolves, so must our responses. Technology should be a tool for empowerment, not a weapon of abuse. As a nation, we are committed to building systems that protect women and girls in every space—including the digital world. This dialogue moves us closer to a Nigeria where online safety, accountability, and justice are guaranteed for all.”

”Technology-facilitated violence is one of the fastest-growing threats to gender equality. On behalf of UN Women, I reaffirm our commitment to working with the Government of Nigeria and all partners to ensure that women and girls can participate in digital spaces without fear. This dialogue is a critical step toward a coordinated national response that protects rights, amplifies accountability, and builds a safer future for all.” UN Women Acting Deputy Country Representative – Ms. Patience Ekeoba who spoke on behalf of the Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS.

ActionAid: 45% women in Nigeria experience cyberstalking