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AVERTING A LOOMING ANARCHY IN THE NORTH: 12 POORLY UTILISED OPPORTUNITIES AND 8 INSIDIOUS DANGERS, IN ROUGH MAGNITUDES.
AVERTING A LOOMING ANARCHY IN THE NORTH: 12 POORLY UTILISED OPPORTUNITIES AND 8 INSIDIOUS DANGERS, IN ROUGH MAGNITUDES.
By: A G ABUBAKAR
For decades, the headlines and “word-of- mouth” kept screaming about the growing insecurity and deprivation in the North with greater frequency and intensity. However, the first instinct of some less discerning individuals was to dismiss such as propaganda or conspiracy against the region. The stark reality has now become too apparent. It is an open secret that the Northern Region of the country is grappling with existential challenges ranging from insecurity, high incidence of poverty to fractured unity.
Challenges that have literally compromised the region’s internal fabrics, with high spill over possibilities. As a matter of urgency, the sanctity of life and security of property, should be enforced to forestall the complete breakdown of peace and order. The Federal government should lead the revival process before it is too late. The North must be rescued if the Nigeria should survive. The opportunities, past and present, are there to be brought to bear.
The Opportunities in no Particular Order;
1. Massive Land Mass: The North occupies over 74 % of Nigeria’s landmass of 923.7 thousand square kilometres that spread across the Sub-Saharan Sahel, the savannah grassland and woodland zones. Zones that support the cultivation of both cash and food crops. Same for livestock and fishery production.
2. Huge Population: Deriving from the 2006 census figure of 140 million, the projected Nigeria population in 2023 was 220 million people. Northern Nigeria accounts for about 51% (112.2million). A figure more than the combined population of Ghana, Cameroon, Mali and Ivory Coast put together. This represents a huge market capable or of supporting varied range of industrial ventures. Above all the region is enormously endowed with solid mineral resources and even crude oil.
3. Elaborate Administrative Setup: Nineteen states currently constitute the North. Nineteen governors call the shots along with nineteen Assemblies to collectively undertake the developmental needs of the people. It’s like bringing governance closer to the people. No defunct region in Nigeria has this elaborate number of sub polities.
4. Highly Productive Agricultural Land: Seventy percent of the 70 million hectares of agricultural land is domiciled in the North according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO,2022). Agriculture as it were is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy employing 70% of the labour force and also contributing 30-35% (average) to the national GDP annually (A Brief History Of the ACF, 2010). The FAO also credited Nigeria with being the world’s largest, (number 1) producer of yam, cowpea, cassava, sorghum, peanut and millet (4th), sesame (4th), maize (14th) and tomato 14th.The region actually used to be the nation’s foremost Agro allied industrial hub of the nation. Revenue contribution from the Northern agricultural sector to then Federal government was said to be largely instrumental in developing the nation’s oil industry. Records from the Colonial Administration showed that between 1914 to the dawn of independence in 1960, the Northern Provinces contributed more than twice their Southern counterpart Provinces to tie national revenue.
The said contribution totalled about £18 million compared with about £8m (ACF, pp 203, 2010) on the strength of agriculture and solid minerals. Incidentally, that was during the period which oil exploration in the South was being funded in earnest, preceeding the oil boom era of 1960-70.
5. Iconic Rivers: Two great rivers, Niger and Benue and 7 out of 12 river basins namely Lower Niger, Upper Niger, Lower Benue, Upper Benue, Sokoto-Rima, Hadeja-Jamaare, and the Lake Chad, traversed the region supporting farming and fishing all year round. Same with dry season farming along the river banks, tributaries and associated dams like the Tiga, Alau, Biu (abandoned for long), Dadin Kowa, Gubi, Bakalori, Challawa, Tiga etc, facilitating massive vegetable and fruits cultivation.
6. Great Lake: One of the largest inland water bodies in Africa, the Lake Chad has a substantial part of it belonging to Nigeria. Under the moribund Lake Chad Basin Development Authority (CBDA), Nigeria became one of largest producers of wheat and rice. The lake equally supported fishery that made the “Maiduguri fish” (banda) a premium product locally and internationally. At its height the Lake Chad covers 1,350 sq kms of water. And during the 80s the Basin’s wheat production averaged 10,000 tons according to records. Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto and Kebbi also have the same potential.
7. Extentive Boarder Economy: The North shares international boarders with 4 countries namely; Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republics with huge potential for cross-boarder trade. Being an agriculturally rich region, the North has been a major exporter of food, textiles and precious stones (gold) to some East/Central African countries and the Middle East. Gold and gemstones mined in parts of the North (Zamfara, Mambila (Taraba), Gunda (Borno) etc) are being exported to Europe and even China.
8. Massive Livestock Base: Raising livestock is only second to arable farming in Northern Nigeria. With large population of nomad’s the livestock sector remains the major producer of meat and hides. Together, with the rearing of domestic animals like sheep, goats, pigs, etc the region has been responsible for the nation’s self sufficiency in animal protein. Of the over 156 million cattle in Nigeria, 90 % are raised by pastoralists in the North. According to FAO in Nigeria, 69% of households in North Western Nigeria, raise domestic animals.
9. Enormous History of Greatness: Though ethnically diverse the North as a whole has enormous history of running empires and political organisations. The popular ones being the Nok culture, Kwararrafa empire, the Kanem-Borno and the various Hausa City states. The Kwararrafa, Kanem-Borno and the 18th Sokoto Caliphate stood out as bastion of statesmanship and scholarship to draw inspiration from.
10. National Defence and Security Hub: Northern Nigeria has been home to the largest military, police and allied security installations in the county. It houses the NDA (Kaduna) Staff College (Jaji-Kaduna) Ministry School (Zaria) Police Academy (Wudil-Kano) Police Colleges (Kaduna, Jos and Maiduguri etc) Prison (Correctional) Training School (Kaduna), Nigeria Airforce Command Schools (Jos & Kaduna) Airforce Training Base School (Kaduna, Makurdi) NIPSS (Kuru-Jos) National Defence College (Abuja), Nigeria Army University, Biu, and the Airforce University in Bauchi state among others.
11. Occupied The Seat Of Power The Most: The North produced 10 out of the 15 leaders that ruled Nigeria for about 48 years out of 63 years viz, Balewa 6, Gowon 9, Murtala 1, Shagari 4, Buhari (1) 3, Abacha 6, Abdussalami 1, Yar’adua 2, Buhari (2) 8, approximately. The security architecture of the nation comprising the Military, Police, Intelligence and related services were largely dominated by the North.
12. Seat of the National Capital: Abuja, the national capital, is located in the North. Aside providing easy access to the seat of government, the city offers great opportunities for Northerners. People who ordinarily would find it difficult to travel to Lagos, the former capital. Befitting infrastructure too has followed the City just as more are developed aside impacting neighbouring States of Kogi, Niger,Kaduna, Nasarawa positively.
How has the North fared socioeconomic wise so far? The answer is, not far, going by the region’s development indices. Indices like poverty, unemployment, financial muscle, access to western education and health care, security and peace etc. So sad the economic disposition of the region shows that the 2020/21 internally generated revenue (IGR) of Lagos state figure of N418.950 billion surpassed the combined total N385.182 for the 19 states in the North!
The Insidious Challenges/Triggers.
1. Rising Dehumanising Poverty: In the year 2022 the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) gave the national poverty figure of 65% while the World Bank in indicated a lesser one. Going by the rule of thumb the NBS survey looks more credible. The NBS rate translated into 133 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty using the estimated national population figure as at the time, the North is home to 65%.
Eight (8) Northern States constitute the top 10. Bayelsa and Ebonyi completed the number. In numerical terms 65% (86m) of 133 are living in the North, spread across Sokoto 90.5%, Gombe 86.2% Jigawa 84.3%, Plateau 84.0%, Yobe 83.5%, Jebbi 82.2%, Taraba 79.4% and Zamfara 78.0%. The average for this group stood at 93.25%; a disposition that is almost similar to what obtains in the remaining states, notwithstanding the enormous resource endowments and the existence of many dollar-based multimillionaires/ billionaires (Forbes list) in the North. As things are, it would seem, the North has become the face of material poverty in Nigeria.
2. Scary Level of Youth Unemployment: In 2022, the NBS during the FG inauguration of a “Technical Committee on Youth Unemployment and Skills Development” put the rate of youth joblessness at 53.4%. Northern youth were in majority by almost 70%. For, earlier in 2020 the statistics showed 8 Northern States made the top 10 facing joblessness crisis. They include Benue Zamfara, Jigawa, Taraba, Gombe, Kebbi, Nasarawa and Bauchi. The southern states of Ebonyi and Bayelsa completed the number.
The army of the jobless youth are therefore largely Northerners with attended problems of restiveness and disillusionment.
The North must have certainly influenced the ranking of Nigeria low on the globally acknowledged Hanke’s Misery Index, 2020 computed on the unemployment and poverty levels among others. Nigeria placed 19th among the top twenty miserable countries of the World.
3. BreedingThe Next Generation of The Poor: Of the estimated 10.5 primary school-going age, over 70 % is in the northern states, especially the NE and NW zones. A lot of those who do attend equally drop out along the way bringing net completion to 53% for boys and 47% for girls according to UNICEF in 2020. Dropping out of school at this vulnerable age tend to render the youth veritable tools for mischief and national insecurity. No thanks to cultural and religious factors, endemic poverty and enlightenment challenges.
The “clash of cultures” between Western education and inclination towards Islamic education is something yet to be resolved in parts of the North with far reaching negative consequences on peace and development in the region.
4. Growing Army of Poorly “Schooled” Preachers: The poorly moderated open religious preaching and sermons continues to undermine peace and harmony in the North. A lot of Muslim Clerics are ill equipped in the art and methodology of theological sermon.
Some simply lack exposure and capacity, they therefore resort to inflammatory sermons or supporting the mundane just to be noticed. Else, how could some of them undertake the holy Pilgrimage to the Holy land (s), where begging was non-existent but return home to preach the virtues of same, as if those over there were less knowledgeable? The same group could also have been uniformed security agents manning holy sites/places, yet they come home to discourage enlistment into uniform outfits.
Many too, are enamoured by how portable and organised Middle East families are. A kind of family set up done with parental guidance as prescribed by the religion. Commendable as it is, the Nigerian cleric would still promote unbridled procreation even when the caring capacity as obligated is absent. Not even emulating the Prophet’s virtues of hard work and self help) as he mends his clothes, cleans his environment, helps his spouses, plays with his kids, practices commerce, lead wars etc, according to various authentic ahadith. The late Sardauna Ahmadu Bello also addressed the virtues of hard work in his book “Work and Worship”. The examples set by the Prophet of Islam and the call by the revered Sardauna do not seem to have made an impression on the Muslim North any longer.
5. Dwindling Financial Inclusion And Investment Capacity: There are about 33 major commercial banks currently operating in Nigeria. The top 10 includes, Access, FCMB, FBN, Fidelity, Zenith, Polaris, Union and UBA. The North doesn’t own any except may be the Polaris which is also under some reconsideration. The other with northern tilt is the budding Ja’iz bank. In all these financial institutions northern investors may have substantial equities but not up to management control level. A similar scenario obtains in the insurance sector where the only, northern Leadway, still stands. The negative consequences on the Northern economy are certainly too obvious.
6. Growing Too Little Future Manpower: The current number of universities in Nigeria according to the NUC is 264. They comprise federal, state and private ones. of this number, about 114 are located in the North; less than 50%. Some of them in the North are actually owned by persons outside the region. Sizes of enrolments too follow ownership patterns, which put Northern candidates at disadvantage. This may not be unconnected to the number of applicants who normally qualify from the region seeking admissions.
7. Token Presence in Competitive Activities: In sports, especially soccer Northern youth are marginally involved despite the fact that the game has large following in the region. With a population of about 130 million the North has more than the combined figures of Cameroon 27m, Ghana 33m, Mali 22, Ivory Coast 22, Senegal 17, Cape Verde .5m and Guinea Bisau 2million. They are all great footballing nations, some appearing in FIFA World Cup, a couple of times. Northern Nigerian players hardly get reasonably included in Nigeria’s national teams. Out of the 22 players, not more than 4 or 5 have been part of successive squads due maybe to poor sports development in the region.
8. A Growing Killing Field Where Life Means Nothing: The myriads of socioeconomic challenges facing the North has invariably rendered the region vulnerable to all sorts of crisis from Islamic insurgency, armed banditry, terrorism and industry-level kidnappings for ransom. The epicentre of the insecurities strangely nabla (inverted triangle) in dimensions. Borno/Yobe on the NE, Sokoto/Zamfara far NW and at the vector, Plateau/Benue in the NC region. The North is literally locked completely in wanton destruction of lives and properties, needlessly. In Plateau State according to the government’s Peace Building Agency over 70 social convulsions including violent crisis took place in the state between 1994-2021, consuming thousands of innocent lives. The Boko Haram/ISWAP in the NE, is estimated to have killed over 30,000 and displaced over 2 million people. Containing the insurgency too, has cost the government over N6 trillion six years back according to the Institute of Security Studies (ISS,2017). And will take more than that to rebuild the region. Besides the insurgency is still not abating in the North East. States on the North Western flank have been in grip of deadly armed banditry and abductions for more than a decade now.
Parts of Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi have been under terrorist’s control. In Zamfara alone more than 3,000 souls have been lost to the crisis and 300,000 internally displaced according to former governor Abubakar Yari. A recent UN report on “Mapping the potentials of transitional Justice in Katsina State” identified 24 terrorists’ cells, housing 2,295 bandits that have been running campaign terror with impunity across the state. Similar scenarios obtain in neighbouring Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto and Kaduna states. The North is under existential challenge and something needs to be done urgently to forestall imminent anarchy.
A Clarion Call on President Tinubu.
The Federal government under PBAT as a matter of urgency should facilitate the convention of a “Security and Economic Summit for the Northern Region” under the auspices of the Northern Governors Forum (NGF), the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Elders Forum (NEF), The Arewa, the Security Agencies and other interest groups. Attendance by old and serving State Governors, Ministers, Captains of Industry, Northern intellectuals/academics, top politicians, the Clergy, and youth leaders of Northern extraction should be made near compulsory. The Governors should have no excuse. Their deputies should man the tuff for the few days. The Summit should be tasked with the development of a realistic and time bound “Roadmap to Rescue the North” before she pulls the entire nation down.
By: A. G. Abubakar
agbarewa@gmail.com
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
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
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.
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