The Federal Government has expressed displeasure over growing cases of Gender-based Violence (GBV) and has revealed its plan to establish Standard of Operations (SoP) procedure for speedy prosecution of related cases in schools.
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) made the disclosure on Tuesday at the national close-out/ handover ceremony of the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative project organised by the United Nations to end violence against women and girls in Nigeria.
The Spotlight Initiative was established in the country to tackle the widespread cases of GBV and other harmful traditional practices.
Fagbemi said: “The ministry has been a beneficiary of numerous programmes under the EU/UN spotlight initiatives, in partnership with the UN Women, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP.
“These are programmes centered on criminal justice actions at the Federal and spotlight States. The ministry will be launching the SoP for prosecution of GBV.
“It is funded by UNESCO under the EU/UN Spotlight Initiative; the SoP is targeted at determining and responding to GBV when it occurs in our schools.
“This initiative propels further collaboration with key ministries of Women Affairs and Justice, to give rise to more robust-real-time and readily available pattern for solution room.”
The Minister mentioned that situation room would be situated at the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Ministry of Justice respectively.
On his part, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, commended the initiative, stating that it aptly tackled cases of GBV in the country.
Bagudu, who was represented by Director of International Cooperation at the ministry, Mr Lanre Adekanya, said: “From the implementation of Spotlight Initiative reports in Nigeria it is clear that significant milestones have been achieved with the success stories hinged on commitment of stakeholders.
“It is important that the national stakeholders sustain the outcome by mainstreaming its activities to other strategic and operational plans.
“Given that women and girls are agents of change in any developing nation, I assure you the ministry will leave no stone unturned in supporting similar programmes sustain impacts of Spotlight Initiative in Nigeria.”
The Emir of Shonga, and Deputy Convenor-General of the Council of Traditional Leaders in Africa (COTLA), Dr Haliru Ndanusa, who also spoke at the event described the initiative as the most substantial commitment by EU/UN in tackling Sexual-GBV (SGBV).
He said: “SGBV remains the most widespread human rights violations impacting our society socioeconomic development and conflicting the values of human dignity and sanctity in our communities.
“In recognizing the sociocultural harms of SGBV, we as custodians of culture and traditions have ethically worked to transform practices related to violence.”
The monarch added that: “We express immense satisfaction at Spotlight Initiative fostering a movement of ethical group in tackling SGBV, we will actively sustain the achievements of the initiative.”
In his remarks, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr Mathias Schmale, said the initiative focused on GBV in relation to collective efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda in the SDGs.
He said: “Since the beginning of the Spotlight Initiative in Nigeria in 2019 , we have made tangible difference in the lives of many in Nigeria.
“It has enabled more than 60,500 women and girls receive worthy services. It made allies of traditional leaders, enhanced data collection and galvanization in changing mindsets and changing lives.”
Schmale noted however that there is the need to secure commitments from governments and relevant stakeholders to safeguard the progress of the Spotlight Initiative.
EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Amb. Samuela Isopi, on her part described the initiative as the world’s largest efforts and investments to fights against GBV.
She highlighted that: “EU launched it in 2018 together with the UN, it is funded with the global investment of €500 million, because we are convinced that this is what is necessary to make transformative change.
“Out of this €500 million, €25 million has been allocated to support fights against GBV in Nigeria; in Nigeria the programme has tasted new holistic approach that brought all actors together.
“This has allowed us achieve resounding results, a record number of 35 States of the Federation have passed the VAPP Act into Law making it fastest Bill passed in Nigeria.”
Highpoint of the event was video documentary on Spotlight Initiative results and impacts, stage performance on SGBV, discussion on Spotlight Initiative, official declaration of the project “closed” and handing over.
