EU, NAPTIP Raise Media Army Against Gender-Based Violence
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
The fight against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Nigeria has gained a new ally as the European Union, International IDEA and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) launched the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Media Corps, positioning journalists as frontline advocates in tackling one of the country’s most pervasive human rights challenges.
The initiative, unveiled during a two-day capacity-building workshop in Abuja on Thursday, under the European Union-funded Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (ESGBV) Programme, seeks to transform the media from mere chroniclers of abuse into catalysts for prevention, justice and social change.
Speaking on behalf of the Director-General of NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, Head, Press and Public Relations Unit, challenged journalists to rethink how they report gender-based violence, urging them to embrace investigative, survivor-centred and multimedia storytelling capable of exposing trafficking syndicates, influencing policy and changing harmful social norms.
He said the media must leverage podcasts, documentaries, digital platforms and other emerging technologies to tell compelling stories that amplify survivors’ voices with dignity while holding perpetrators accountable.
“The stories you tell can save lives, encourage survivors to seek help and strengthen public confidence in the justice system” he said, urging participants to maximise the opportunity presented by the training.
Providing an overview of the programme, Wynyfred Achu-Egbuson, Civil Society and Community Mobilization Specialist, ESGBV Programme, International IDEA, said the intervention builds on earlier European Union investments to strengthen Nigeria’s legal, institutional and community response to SGBV.
She explained that the programme supports implementation of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, strengthens Sexual Assault Referral Centres, legal aid and referral systems, and works with government institutions, civil society, traditional leaders and the media to dismantle harmful norms that sustain violence.
Achu-Egbuson stressed that ethical journalism remains one of the most powerful tools for breaking the culture of silence, reducing stigma and connecting survivors to life-saving services.
Making the case for the newly established Media Corps, Toyin Adewale-Gabriel, Lead Facilitator and Media Mentor, warned that silence remains one of the greatest obstacles to ending gender-based violence.
She cited data from the 2024 NDHS, showing that 21 per cent of Nigerian women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical or sexual violence, while 58 per cent of survivors never seek help or disclose their ordeal.
She further noted that 59 per cent of Nigerians have either experienced gender-based violence or know someone who has, yet almost half of the population remains unaware of existing laws and policies designed to protect victims.
According to her, the Media Corps will serve as a coordinated network of journalists committed to ethical, survivor-centred and evidence-based reporting that promotes implementation of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, increases awareness of survivor support services and exposes emerging threats such as technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
“The media can either reinforce harmful stereotypes or dismantle them,” she said, urging journalists to choose reporting that protects survivors, promotes accountability and drives lasting behavioural change.
The initiative will initially operate in the Federal Capital Territory, Benue, Kaduna and Oyo States, with members expected to produce investigative reports, multimedia features and accountability stories that strengthen Nigeria’s response to sexual and gender-based violence.
For the organisers, the message was unmistakable: ending gender-based violence requires more than stronger laws and institutions, it also demands a media that reports with accuracy, empathy and purpose.
