Over 35 per cent of Nigerian women have experienced physical violence, while many more suffer emotional, sexual, and economic abuses, according to the Male Feminists Network (MFN).
Project Director of MFN, Dr Otive Igbuzor, disclosed this on Tuesday at the public unveiling and launch of an online course on male feminism and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention in Abuja.
Lamenting the trend, Igbuzor stressed that the fight against GBV should not be seen as women’s struggle alone but as a collective human cause aimed at building a Nigeria where everyone — man, woman, or child — can live free from fear and discrimination.
He said the launch of the online course was intended to ignite a new wave of enlightenment across homes, institutions, and communities, urging men to log on to mfn.centrelsd.org to access information and inspiration to act, lead, and champion equality in their respective spaces.
“We cannot end GBV by focusing on women alone. Men must be part of the solution — not as spectators, but as active champions of justice, equality, and nonviolence. The MFN Digital Course embodies this philosophy,” Igbuzor said.
He explained that the course was designed to transform mindsets, equip men with feminist knowledge, and mobilise them for sustained advocacy and community action.
“Many of us men who are HeForShe and gender-sensitive live in the same space with others. The only difference is knowledge, exposure, and change in mindset,” he added.
According to him, the MFN project, implemented by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy, and Development (Centre LSD) in partnership with six zonal hubs in Ado-Ekiti, Gboko, Kano, Warri, Abakaliki, and Bauchi, aims to train at least 1,000 male leaders across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
He added that the initiative also seeks to build a network of 10,000 certified male feminists, promote collaboration between men’s and women’s movements, and advocate policies and practices that institutionalise gender equality.
Igbuzor, therefore, called on Nigerian men to take the course, get certified, and join the movement to become change agents in their communities towards ending gender-based violence.
