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Oluwole Ahmodu
The Founder/Executive Director,
Noble Vessels Arise Initiative (NOVAI), Mrs Chioma Elezieanya, has demanded the call to action for Nigeria to move from awareness to sustained investment in digital safety for women and girls.
Elezieanya said the rise of digital violence, cyberbullying, non-consensual image sharing and online harassment have added new dimensions to the crisis affecting young girls.
According to her, Gender-Based Violence remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations in Nigeria with available national surveys and reports continue to show alarming trends.
The NOVAI boss said, “Data shows that 31% of Nigerian women aged 15–49 have experienced physical violence at some point in their lives. 1 in 3 girls experience at least one form of violence before age 18.
“Millions of cases go unreported due to stigma, fear, cultural silence, and weak support systems. Emotional, psychological, and economic violence remain highly prevalent but are rarely documented or addressed.
“The FCT and several states continue to record thousands of GBV cases every year through hospitals, police units, and social welfare systems, yet these figures represent only a fraction of the actual burden.
“These statistics remind us that GBV is not a women’s issue alone; it is a national development issue. It undermines education, public health, productivity and the safety of communities.”
In line with the 16 Days of Activism 2025, Elezieanya said her organisation will conduct school awareness campaigns across the FCT and neighbouring communities; strengthen safe-space mentorship program for adolescent girls; train student leaders on peer education, consent and reporting pathways; amplify survivor support information and referral services; advocate for the full implementation of the VAPP Act in states where it has been passed and also engage teachers, parents and traditional institutions on child protection and GBV prevention.
To curb the the act of GBV, she urged the government to increase budgetary allocations for GBV prevention programs at federal and state levels and establish more shelters, one-stop GBV response centres, and functional hotlines.
Elezieanya also called for full implementation of the VAPP Act, Child Rights Act and disability-inclusive GBV policies nationwide as well as prioritising digital safety and online protection for children and adolescents.
“As we commemorate the 2025 16 Days of Activism, let us remember that violence against women and girls is not inevitable, it is preventable. It requires all of us. It requires courage. It requires commitment. And above all, it requires sustained investment.
“Noble Vessels Arise Initiative stands firm in its mission to protect, empower, and uplift girls and women. With collaboration, we can build a Nigeria where every girl is safe, valued, and free to rise,” Elezieanya concluded.
