1,000 SGBV cases recorded in Niger in one year, says WARDC

A non-governmental organisation, Women Advocacy, Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), has revealed that no fewer than 1,000 cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), ranging from physical to emotional abuse, were recorded in Niger State between 2023 and 2024.

Niger State Coordinator of the organisation, Mrs. Hassana Joan Kpeto, made this disclosure at a press briefing in Minna over the weekend. The event had the theme: ‘Invest in Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV): Increase Budget to End Violence Against Women and Girls’.

Kpeto noted that out of the 1,000 SGBV cases recorded, her organisation has been able to treat only 100, adding that eight convictions were also obtained during the period under review.

Mrs Kpeto said that the WARDC, which operates across 36 states and the FCT, Abuja, is a human rights organisation aimed at combating all forms of human rights violations, child abuse, gender-based violence, and child labour against girls and boys, among others.

She explained that the organisation has been working tirelessly to ensure that the menace of SGBV is brought to a standstill in society.

Hassana said, “We are calling on governments at all levels to invest in SGBV initiatives and also increase their budgets to fight this menace through state actors and private sector partnerships.”

The Coordinator further stressed that the purpose of the briefing was to draw the attention of the state government, legislators, and local councils to ensure that the 2025 budget reflects a human-centric approach where SGBV is prioritized.

She added, “We are just requesting 0.05% of the entire budget to ensure that MDAs such as the Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, and the Child Rights Act Agency are adequately funded to combat issues of human rights violations and SGBV.

“Gender-responsive budgeting is a process that entails incorporating a gender perspective at various stages—planning, policy, program formulation, assessment of target group needs, resource allocation, implementation, impact assessment, and prioritisation of resources.”

She suggested the engagement and participation of legislators as strategic partners in adopting a gender-responsive budgeting framework for the appropriate allocation of resources for the effective implementation of various activities aimed at ending SGBV cases, as outlined in the state Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law.

In their separate submissions, the President of the National Council of Women Societies (Niger State), Mrs. Justina Yakubu; the representative of Rayuwa Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Anne C. Nwakpuda; and the FIDA Niger State Chairperson, Mrs. Bola Jibogun, assured their support to enable the organization to achieve optimal success in the fight against SGBV.

The State Coordinator of WARDC, Mrs Kpeto, urged journalists to join forces with the coalition to combat the SGBV menace in the state and promote investments in this fight, which has taken a different dimension.

She noted that within one week, more than seven cases of SGBV had been recorded in Niger State.

She also urged victims of SGBV to come forward and report their cases, assuring them that the women’s group has synergies with state and non-state actors to handle SGBV cases effectively.

Hassana further hinted that the organisation is in partnership with NAWOJ, FIDA, Sexual Assault Referral Centres, and the National Affirmative Action.