The Women Advocacy, Research and Documentation Center, WARDC, has said no fewer than 1,000 cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, SGBV, were reported in Niger State in one year.
According to the organization, the cases which range from physical assaults to emotional abuse were documented between 2023 and 2024.
The Niger State Coordinator of WARDC, Mrs. Hassana Joan Kpeto, disclosed this at a press briefing held in Minna over the weekend.
Kpeto, therefore raised the alarm over the prevalence of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the state and called for urgent need to address the situation.
The briefing tagged “Invest in Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV): Increase Budget to End Violence Against Women and Girls,” highlighted the critical need for government intervention.
Mrs. Kpeto observed that of the 1,000 reported cases, the organization was only able to address 100, with 8 convictions recorded during the period.
The WARDC coordinator who attributed the limited success to inadequate funding, called on government at all levels to give priority to SGBV in their budgets.
She emphasized the need to incorporate gender-responsive budgeting in state policies and programs and urged the Niger State government to set aside 0.05% of its 2025 budget for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) saddled with the responsibilities of addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence issues like the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Women Affairs and the Child Rights Act Agency.