Lagos Introduces Nigeria’s First Gender-Based Violence Prevention Policy

Lagos State has introduced what it describes as Nigeria’s first Gender-Based Violence Prevention Policy, establishing a data-led framework designed to identify the conditions that allow sexual and gender-based violence to occur and intervene before cases are reported.

Unveiled on Thursday, the policy marks a departure from an approach centred largely on responding to reported incidents towards a prevention model that examines where violence occurs, the circumstances surrounding it and the social norms that can enable it.

At the heart of the framework is a monitoring system built around localised data indicators, heat mapping, quarterly reviews and public reporting. These tools are intended to help authorities identify patterns of gender-based violence, determine areas requiring intervention and assess the effectiveness of measures being implemented across the state.

The policy covers violence in homes, workplaces and schools, while also extending prevention efforts into digital spaces where technology-facilitated sexual and gender-based violence has become an emerging concern.

Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said prevention could not be achieved by concentrating government attention solely on incidents after they had happened.

“We cannot continue to focus only on what happens after violence occurs. Prevention requires us to identify the factors that enable violence, challenge harmful social norms and strengthen the systems that protect people before harm occurs,” she said.

“This policy gives us a clear framework to coordinate these efforts across sectors and communities.”

The framework is structured around four levels of prevention, bringing together public education, institutional safeguards, survivor support and the strengthening of frontline response systems.

The first level, primary prevention, places emphasis on education, awareness and changing social norms. It includes promoting consent, bodily autonomy and digital safety as part of efforts to reduce the conditions in which sexual and gender-based violence can occur.

Secondary prevention focuses on early intervention, legal safeguards and institutional accountability. Among the measures provided is the streamlining of standard operating procedures for law enforcement agencies, alongside the use of the Lagos State Sex Offenders Register.

The third level places survivors at the centre of intervention. It provides for services that uphold their rights, choices, dignity and privacy while improving access to medical, legal, psychosocial and economic assistance.

The fourth pillar is directed at first responders and service providers, with an emphasis on strengthening their capacity to prevent and respond effectively to sexual and gender-based violence.

Implementation will be coordinated through a multi-sectoral Technical Working Group anchored by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency. Relevant ministries, departments and agencies will participate alongside civil society partners.

The policy's data component is expected to play a central role in implementation. Localised indicators and heat maps will be used to track emerging patterns and identify areas requiring attention, while quarterly assessments and public reporting will provide a mechanism for reviewing progress and communicating findings.

The Lagos State Government said the framework gives practical expression to its declaration of zero tolerance for all forms of sexual and gender-based violence. Its development was supported by the Ford Foundation.

By bringing prevention into education, law enforcement, healthcare, social services, community engagement and digital safety, Lagos is positioning the fight against gender-based violence as a responsibility extending beyond agencies that traditionally respond after an incident has occurred.

The policy therefore places greater emphasis on understanding and addressing the conditions that precede violence, while maintaining systems for protecting survivors and holding perpetrators accountable when abuse occurs.