For some residents of Lagos Island, the message was impossible to miss on Friday: domestic and sexual violence must no longer be treated as a private family matter.
 
From Sura Primary Health Centre to the Lagos Island Local Council, residents, government officials, advocates and community stakeholders took to the streets, calling for greater awareness, reporting and support for victims and survivors of violence.
 
The Advocacy Walk, organised by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) as part of activities marking the 2026 Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month, was aimed at taking the campaign directly to the community and encouraging residents to play a more active role in preventing violence.
 
Flagging off the walk, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Lagos Island Constituency I, Hon. Lara Oyekan Olumegbon, stressed the need for sustained advocacy and community involvement in the fight against domestic and sexual violence.
 
She said ending violence could not be left to government alone, but required the collective efforts of families, communities and individuals.
 
Olumegbon urged residents to speak up, report cases and support initiatives aimed at protecting victims and survivors. She was joined at the event by Hon. Nurudeen Yunus Abiodun, APC candidate for Lagos State House of Assembly, Constituency II.
 
Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health District IV, Dr Abimbola Bowale, highlighted the critical role of the health sector in responding to cases of domestic and sexual violence.
 
He stressed the importance of ensuring that survivors receive timely, compassionate and appropriate care whenever they seek help.
 
For the Executive Secretary of DSVA, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, taking the campaign to Lagos Island was another opportunity to ensure that the message of prevention and zero tolerance for domestic and sexual violence reached residents beyond government offices and formal institutions.
 
She said the Awareness Month provided an opportunity to deepen conversations around domestic and sexual violence, encourage victims and survivors to speak out, and remind residents that everyone had a role to play in preventing violence and supporting those affected.
 
The walk, which began at Sura Primary Health Centre, ended at the Lagos Island Local Council, where the participants were received by the Executive Chairman, Hon. Prince Taiwo Ajibade Oyekan.
 
As they marched through the community, participants displayed messages promoting prevention, reporting and support for survivors, turning ordinary streets into a moving platform for a cause that often remains hidden behind closed doors.
 
The campaign further reinforced the Lagos State Government’s commitment to sustained public awareness, prevention, survivor support and coordinated action to tackle domestic and sexual violence across the state.