New data by Invictus Africa has shown that the most alarming finding is that Nigerian homes have become the primary site of violence. Three in four GBV incidents (76 percent) occur in domestic settings, with intimate partner violence remaining the most common form of abuse. Physical, sexual, psychological, and economic violence also remain widespread.
The report, known as the Womanity Index, was launched in Abuja as part of the ongoing 16 Days of Activism. It paints a troubling picture of rising vulnerability, collapsing support systems, and a widening gap between state-level commitments and actual spending on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response.
Now in its third edition, the Womanity Index, produced annually by Invictus Africa, assessed state governments’ efforts across five core indicators: laws and policies, access to legal justice, support services, information and awareness, and budget and spending.
This year’s theme, “What Has Changed?”, reveals that while more states are creating GBV budget lines, insufficient funding and poor budget performance undermine all other areas of intervention.
The report shows a steady drop in public awareness of GBV laws, falling from 61 percent in 2023 to just 51 percent in 2025. Awareness campaigns suffered major setbacks in 2025 following the withdrawal or closure of several donor-funded programmes, exposing the fragility of interventions that rely on external partners rather than sustained government investment.
Only 41 percent of Nigerians reported knowledge of any GBV information or education programme this year, a steep decline from previous years.
According to the report, 68 percent of Nigerians say they prefer formal justice mechanisms, 59% are unaware of the legal support services available in their state. Many states lack simplified versions or translations of the VAPP law, leaving rural communities most in the dark.
It stated further that no state has a functional Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) or shelter in every LGA. Abia and Kogi have none at all. Where SARCs exist, most are NGO-driven or donor-supported.
“Only 18 states have structured multi-stakeholder reporting and referral pathways, and even these are concentrated in urban centres,” it stated.
“States allocate an average of just 0.6 percent of their budgets to Women’s Affairs ministries. Only six states allocate at least one percent. Budget performance across states is a low 39 percent, with some states spending less than 10 percent of allocations.
“In 2024, states collectively allocated ₦120.22bn to GBV prevention and response, only 0.66 percent of their combined budgets, Yet, actual spending was just 37.9 percent, a major decline from 2023. Nigeria spent an average of ₦365.60 per woman or girl on GBV response, the report explained.
Executive Director of Invictus Africa, Bukky Shonibare, described the situation as both revealing and distressing.
“The problem is no longer allocation, it is spending. States create budget lines but release little or nothing. Without funding, laws remain unimplemented, justice inaccessible, shelters non-existent, and awareness week. My call to government is simple: budget more and spend more. Survivors cannot continue to pay the price for government inaction.”
Shonibare added that many state Women’s Affairs ministries lack the political backing to insist on higher funding. “We cannot expect them to advocate publicly. Civil society must continue to demand accountability where ministries cannot speak without risking their jobs.”
For Ford Foundation’s Regional Director for West Africa, Dr. ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye, the Index provides a critical blueprint for governments, and a reminder that donor support is not a substitute for state responsibility.
“Donor funding is dwindling and will continue to shrink. Many facilities are already built; what states need is the will to maintain them. Addressing GBV does not require breaking the bank. It requires prioritisation,” she maintained.
She urged governors to use the Index data as a planning and accountability tool. “This research gives states everything they need, granular data, gaps, progress markers. Those who use it are improving. Those who ignore it remain stagnant.”
Despite worrying trends, some states are emerging as leaders. According to Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, co-founder of the AMANDA Institute and former First Lady of Ekiti State. She emphasized that GBV is a collective problem. “States such as Lagos, Akwa Ibom, and others are showing what is possible when leadership is intentional. But overall, Nigeria still has a long way to go.”
