Sunday Ehigiator
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has called for a fundamental shift in the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), saying the greatest victory would be to prevent violence from occurring rather than simply becoming better at responding to reported cases.
Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, spoke yesterday at the National Convening of Gender-Based Violence State Coordinators in Lagos, where the state launched its Gender-Based Violence Prevention Policy.
The governor said the policy marked a deliberate move from a predominantly reactive approach to one that addresses the attitudes, behaviours and social conditions that enable violence.
He said: “Our greatest victory will not be becoming better at responding to violence. Our greatest victory will be creating a society in which fewer people experience violence in the first place.”
According to him, while receiving complaints, protecting survivors, providing medical and psychological support, investigating cases and pursuing justice remain essential, government and society must also confront what happens before violence occurs.
“Prevention means confronting harmful behaviours before they become violent. It means educating our children about dignity, respect, boundaries and responsibility. It means empowering families, teachers and communities to recognise warning signs and act earlier,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said the responsibility for preventing GBV extends beyond government to families, schools, traditional and religious institutions, the media, private sector, civil society organisations and communities.
He stressed that survivors must be able to access safety, care, justice, healing and restoration without encountering institutional barriers.
“When a survivor reaches out for help, there must not be a wall between that person and justice. There must be a pathway to safety, a pathway to care, a pathway to justice and, ultimately, a pathway to healing and restoration,” he said.
The governor noted that Lagos had made significant investments in strengthening its response mechanisms, survivor support, access to justice, public awareness and prevention programmes, but said the state must now focus on preventing the next case rather than only responding to the last one.
The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) reported that it handled 33,009 cases between September 2021 and July 2026, including domestic violence, defilement, child abuse, rape and sexual harassment.
The agency also reported that more than 10,600 children had been affected by domestic violence during the period.
Sanwo-Olu said the figures represented more than statistics, as each case involved a person, family and community affected by violence.
He challenged participants at the national convening, which brought together GBV coordinators from states across the country and the Federal Capital Territory, to share successful interventions, identify gaps and develop approaches that could be adapted across jurisdictions.
“Lagos does not have all the answers. We have important lessons, but we are willing to share our successes and our challenges,” he said, urging states to learn from one another rather than operate in isolation.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, said the conference was particularly important because Lagos had developed substantial experience in survivor protection, intervention, referral, investigation, prosecution and conviction, but recognised that prevention had to become a greater priority.
Pedro said the state’s new policy was designed to move the fight against GBV upstream by addressing harmful attitudes and behaviours before they develop into violence.
He cited the Lagos Boy-Child Initiative, championed by the First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, as one of the approaches aimed at engaging boys and young men early and teaching them respect for the rights, feelings and dignity of others.
“The idea is to go away from detection, investigation and prosecution and begin with prevention. We cannot continue to focus only on what happens after violence occurs. Prevention requires us to identify the factors that enable violence, challenge harmful social norms and strengthen the systems that protect people before harm occurs.
“This policy gives us a clear framework to coordinate these efforts across sectors and communities.”
The policy is built around four levels of prevention, covering education and awareness, legal and institutional safeguards, survivor-centred services and the capacity of first responders.
Under primary prevention, the state will focus on education, awareness and social-norm transformation, including the promotion of consent, bodily autonomy and digital safety.
The secondary prevention pillar targets legal and institutional mechanisms for early intervention and accountability.
It includes streamlined standard operating procedures for law enforcement agencies and the use of the Lagos State Sex Offenders Register.
The tertiary pillar centres on survivors, with provisions for services that protect their rights, choices, dignity and privacy while improving access to medical, legal, psychosocial and economic support.
The fourth pillar focuses on strengthening the capacity of first responders and service providers to prevent and respond to SGBV.
Implementation will be overseen by a multi-sectoral Technical Working Group anchored by the DSV Agency and involving relevant ministries, departments and agencies, as well as civil society partners.
The framework’s monitoring system will rely on localised indicators and heat maps to identify patterns and areas requiring intervention, with quarterly reviews and public reporting incorporated into the implementation process.
The Lagos Government said the policy operationalises its declaration of zero tolerance for all forms of SGBV.