Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
In a landmark move to protect women in digital spaces, the Centre for Redefining Alternative Civic Engagement for Africa, RACE Centre, has launched Nigeria’s first AI-Enabled Online Gender-Based Violence (OGBV) Tracker.
The AI-enabled tracker, the first of its kind in Nigeria, has already documented over 20,000 verified cases of online violence across major social media platforms.
According to RACE Centre, the tool uses machine learning, localized keywords, and context analysis to detect, categorize, and monitor OGBV in real time across Nigerian and African digital spaces.
The launch which held in Abuja to mark Pan-African Women’s Day, comes amid rising concerns over cyber harassment, doxxing, non-consensual deepfakes, and AI-driven attacks targeting women in politics, activism, and public life.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of RACE Centre, Evelyn Ugbe said the tracker was developed in direct response to the lived experiences of Nigerian women.
“Just a few months ago, a brilliant young woman leader sat across from me in tears, terrified after a coordinated mob posted her home address online alongside AI-manipulated images designed to destroy her dignity and force her into silence.
“Her heartbreak reflects the quiet agony of millions of African women who wake up every single morning facing digital violence simply for daring to exist or lead in digital spaces.
“Behind every single one of those 20,000 cases is a real woman whose peace, safety, and human dignity were under attack.
‘We built this tracker because we needed undeniable proof. Data that can drive policy, inform law enforcement, and hold platforms accountable.
The system is designed to flag actionable cases and provide evidence .for advocacy, research, and referrals to relevant authorities.
The launch brought together representatives from government, security agencies, civil society, and development partners.
RACE Centre expressed gratitude to Luminate, another NGO for institutional support and to Co-Impact led by Regional Director Mary Wandla, for flexible funding that enabled the tool’s development.
Law enforcement agencies represented included the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters and FCT Command, NPF National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC), NSCDC, and NAPTIP.