ActionAid Nigeria Impacts 3m Lives in Nationwide GBV Campaign

ActionAid Nigeria has reported that its nationwide campaign against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) has impacted approximately three million individuals, including men and women, by challenging harmful cultural practices and enhancing the protection of women and girls throughout the country. This outcome was announced at the closing stakeholder forum of the Multi-Stakeholder Action for the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence (MAP-GBV) project, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The MAP-GBV initiative, supported by the Ford Foundation, achieved notable milestones in Anambra, Osun, and Rivers States, particularly in community mobilisation, advocacy, public awareness, and collaboration with traditional and religious institutions. ActionAid's Director of People and Culture, Funmi Olukeye, highlighted the program's success in altering attitudes towards GBV, which led to the cessation of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in certain communities in Rivers State.

She identified the formation of community influencers and the engagement of influential figures such as traditional rulers, lawyers, lawmakers, and religious leaders as key achievements.

Olukeye emphasized the importance of ongoing community commitment and civil society participation to sustain the positive changes. She called for the institutionalization of structures within government and traditional leadership systems to ensure the campaign against GBV continues beyond the project's lifespan.

Evelyn Membere Asimiea, Coordinator of the Rivers State Multi-Stakeholder Action Committee on GBV Prevention, reported significant progress since the committee's establishment in November 2024. She noted the enhancement of public awareness, improved advocacy efforts, and increased involvement from traditional and religious institutions in combating GBV. A major achievement included the creation of a GBV Prevention Manual for traditional rulers, which enhanced their capacity to address harmful cultural practices.

The project also facilitated the formation of the Rivers State Multi-Stakeholder Action Committee on GBV Prevention, comprising government agencies, civil society organisations, traditional rulers, religious leaders, women's groups, security agencies, and the media. A significant milestone was the signing of a Royal Mandate by traditional rulers on April 24, 2026, pledging to combat harmful cultural practices, promote the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, and strengthen community-based protection systems.

Mrs. Lauretta Davies Dimkpa, Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, assured the state government's commitment to sustaining the structures established by the MAP-GBV project. She described it as a crucial intervention that fostered collaboration among stakeholders and provided a platform for addressing GBV.

Dimkpa declared that the committee will not dissolve with the project's completion, and the ministry will retain it as the official coordination platform for GBV prevention.

Dimkpa also commended ActionAid Nigeria for its technical support, noting the project's contribution to improved coordination, community sensitisation, and awareness of women's and children's rights. The ministry has established a Sexual Assault Referral Centre at the Safe Home in Port Harcourt, the first of its kind in Rivers State, and is planning to extend Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Response Teams to other local government areas.

A Community-Based Child Protection System is operational in 100 communities, and the state government has committed to funding 100 auxiliary social workers for five years to sustain the programme.

Dimkpa urged stakeholders not to allow the gains achieved through the MAP-GBV project to dissipate, stressing the need for sustained collective responsibility to eliminate GBV. She stressed that lasting protection for women, girls, and other vulnerable individuals requires ongoing commitment, adequate funding, stronger community participation, and effective implementation of existing laws.