Senate, UNODC Seek Tougher Laws Against Rising Image-Based Sexual Abuse in Nigeria

By: Michael Mike

Alarmed by the growing incidence of revenge porn, sextortion and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, the Senate and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have called for urgent measures to strengthen Nigeria’s response to image-based sexual abuse and other forms of cyber-interpersonal violence.

The call came at a stakeholders’ workshop held in Lagos aimed at developing a comprehensive Nigerian framework to combat intimate image abuse, a form of online violence that experts said is increasingly destroying lives, damaging reputations and leaving victims with severe emotional and psychological scars.

Participants at the meeting described the abuse as one of the fastest-growing forms of technology-facilitated gender-based violence, warning that advances in digital technology and artificial intelligence have made it easier for perpetrators to create, manipulate and disseminate explicit images without the consent of victims.

They stressed that while the internet has revolutionised communication and social interaction, it has also created new avenues for abuse, blackmail and exploitation, with women and girls bearing the greatest burden of the emerging threat.

The Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics pledged legislative support to tackle the problem, while the UNODC advocated a survivor-centred and rights-based approach that prioritises prevention, protection, accountability and access to justice for victims.

Stakeholders noted that victims of intimate image abuse often suffer devastating consequences that extend beyond the digital space. In many cases, survivors are subjected to public humiliation, cyberbullying, social isolation and extortion, with some losing educational opportunities, employment and relationships because of the unauthorised circulation of their intimate content.

Experts at the forum warned that the rise of artificial intelligence-generated “deepfake” technology has added a dangerous dimension to the problem by enabling perpetrators to produce realistic but fake explicit images and videos that can be used to harass, blackmail and destroy the reputations of innocent persons.

They therefore called for stronger laws, improved investigative and forensic capabilities, enhanced cooperation between law enforcement agencies and technology companies, and the establishment of rapid response mechanisms for removing abusive content from digital platforms.

The stakeholders also emphasised the need for greater public awareness and digital literacy, arguing that many victims remain silent because of fear of stigma, victim-blaming and retaliation.

Globally, image-based sexual abuse has emerged as a major human rights and public safety concern. International studies indicate that millions of people, particularly women and young people, have experienced some form of online sexual exploitation, with many incidents going unreported.

In Nigeria, concerns over cyber-enabled abuse have intensified amid increasing internet penetration, widespread use of smartphones and the growing influence of social media platforms. Rights groups and digital safety advocates have repeatedly warned that existing legal and institutional frameworks have struggled to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies and emerging forms of online abuse.

Participants at the workshop maintained that Nigeria must act decisively to close legal and policy gaps and build a robust framework capable of protecting citizens from digital exploitation.

They argued that ensuring safety in the digital space is no longer merely a technology issue but a pressing human rights and justice imperative requiring coordinated action by government institutions, lawmakers, law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations and the private sector.

Senate, UNODC Seek Tougher Laws Against Rising Image-Based Sexual Abuse in Nigeria

Femi Pedro Assumes Office as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Australia, Pledges Stronger Trade, Diaspora Ties

By: Michael Mike

Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro, has formally assumed office as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Australia, pledging to deepen economic cooperation, boost trade and investment, and strengthen engagement with Nigerians living across Australia and the Pacific region.

Pedro officially commenced his diplomatic duties after presenting his Letters of Credence to the Governor-General of Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Ms. Sam Mostyn AC, in a ceremony that marks the beginning of his tenure as Nigeria’s envoy to Australia, with concurrent accreditation to New Zealand, Fiji, Solomon Islands and other Oceanic states.

Describing the occasion as more than a ceremonial event, the envoy said his appointment represented a call to action aimed at expanding Nigeria’s footprint in one of the world’s most dynamic regions.

He noted that Nigeria and Australia enjoy a growing relationship anchored on shared Commonwealth values and mutual respect, stressing that both countries possess enormous opportunities for collaboration in strategic sectors, including critical minerals, agricultural innovation, education, technology and financial services.

According to him, Nigeria is open for business and ready to forge stronger partnerships capable of delivering economic growth and mutual prosperity.

Pedro pledged to work closely with the Australian government and stakeholders across the Pacific to attract investments, promote educational cooperation and encourage cultural exchanges that would benefit both nations.

The envoy also assured Nigerians residing in Australia and across the Oceanic states that the Nigerian mission under his leadership would remain accessible and responsive to their needs.

He said he was assuming office carrying not only the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu but also the hopes and aspirations of Nigerians at home and in the diaspora.

The High Commissioner disclosed that his diplomatic engagements would be guided by the Tinubu administration’s foreign policy doctrine anchored on the four pillars of Demography, Development, Diaspora and Democracy, while also promoting the National Values Charter as part of efforts to project a positive image of Nigeria globally.

He urged Nigerians in the region to see themselves as ambassadors of the country and partners in nation-building, noting that the diaspora community remains a critical asset in advancing Nigeria’s interests abroad.

Nigeria and Australia have in recent years expanded cooperation in trade, mining, education and security, with both countries increasingly exploring opportunities in the critical minerals sector amid the global transition to clean energy. Australia is also home to a growing Nigerian community, many of whom are contributing significantly to academia, healthcare, business and technology.

Pedro’s assumption of office comes at a time when the Federal Government is intensifying economic diplomacy and seeking to leverage its diaspora communities to attract investments, promote exports and strengthen bilateral relations with key partners across the world.

Femi Pedro Assumes Office as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Australia, Pledges Stronger Trade, Diaspora Ties

ActionAid Faults Onanuga’s Remarks, Says Hunger and Hardship Have Become Nigeria’s Daily Reality

By: Michael Mike

ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has sharply criticised recent remarks by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, accusing the presidency of normalising hunger and economic hardship and dismissing the daily struggles of millions of Nigerians.

The organisation said the presidential spokesman’s claim that he could not see the level of hunger Nigerians complain about, based on his personal observations and interactions with people around him, reflected a dangerous disconnect from realities across the country.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, ActionAid Nigeria described such remarks as careless and unsupported by evidence, insisting that the hardship confronting Nigerians was documented in official statistics and reflected in the experiences of communities across the country.

The organisation noted that although Onanuga questioned the extent of hunger in Nigeria, he acknowledged during the same interview that the prices of food items had risen significantly. According to ActionAid, a crate of eggs that sold for about N600 a few years ago now costs between N6,000 and N8,500, underscoring the severity of the cost-of-living crisis.

It said official figures from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that food inflation rose to 16.96 per cent year-on-year in May 2026, from 16.68 per cent in April, driven by increasing prices of staples such as onions, maize, yam, cassava, tomatoes, pepper, wheat and plantain.

ActionAid further noted that the naira’s devaluation had eroded the purchasing power of workers and households, while labour groups had repeatedly argued that incomes would need to rise substantially to restore the living standards Nigerians enjoyed about a decade ago.

The organisation maintained that communities it works with across Nigeria, including women smallholder farmers, informal traders and residents of conflict-affected and displaced communities, continue to report worsening conditions, with food, transportation, healthcare and other basic necessities increasingly becoming unaffordable.

It stressed that the realities of hunger and hardship were not products of political propaganda or social media exaggeration but were evident in market prices, government inflation data, school enrolment figures and the difficult choices families now make to survive.

ActionAid also challenged the presidency’s claims on improving security conditions, citing independent reports that indicated otherwise.

According to the organisation, the Nigeria Watch violence-monitoring project documented 12,954 violent deaths across the country in 2025, while fatalities linked to kidnappings rose from 425 in 2024 to 747 in 2025. It added that incidents of rural banditry spread from nine states to sixteen states during the same period.

The organisation also cited data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, which ranked Nigeria as the deadliest country in West Africa during the first half of 2025, accounting for 5,768 conflict-related deaths, representing 44.5 per cent of all fatalities recorded in the region.

Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, said public officials who have the privilege of working closely with the presidency have a responsibility to understand and communicate the realities confronting citizens.

He lamented that millions of Nigerians were no longer making choices aimed at improving their lives but were instead deciding which basic necessities they could afford to forgo.

According to him, families are increasingly skipping meals to pay transport fares, avoiding hospitals because they cannot afford treatment and compromising their children’s education because survival has become their overriding concern.

Mamedu recounted the experience of a family in the Lekki area whose son often trekked long distances to school because there was no junior secondary school in their community and his parents could not consistently afford transportation costs.

He said the boy, shortly after recovering from an illness, embarked on the long trek to school, collapsed and died.

“This was not a medical mystery. It was Nigeria failing a child in every way that mattered until it cost him his life,” he said.

ActionAid consequently demanded that government officials stop downplaying the cost-of-living crisis and begin addressing it as an urgent national emergency affecting millions of citizens.

The organisation urged governments at all levels to tackle the root causes of rising living costs through investments in local food production, improved transport and logistics infrastructure and stronger social protection and social security programmes tailored to the realities of low-income households.

It also called for economic relief measures to be designed and regularly reviewed in consultation with communities most affected by inflation, currency devaluation and rising costs of transportation, healthcare and education.

ActionAid reaffirmed its commitment to working with government, communities and other stakeholders to identify solutions that improve citizens’ welfare, while continuing to document and amplify the experiences of vulnerable populations and hold public officials accountable to standards of honesty, empathy and evidence-based governance.

ActionAid Faults Onanuga’s Remarks, Says Hunger and Hardship Have Become Nigeria’s Daily Reality