Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Nearly one in every two female students in Nigeria experiences some form of gender-based violence during years in school, a disturbing trend fuelling school dropouts, inflicting lasting psychological trauma, and denying thousands of children justice, stakeholders warned on Tuesday.

The alarming figures emerged as the Nigerian government, European Union (EU), and International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) commenced a fresh initiative aimed at strengthening justice pathways for children abused in schools and equipping teachers, counsellors, police officers and school administrators to identify, document, and prosecute perpetrators.

The intervention is being implemented under the European Union-supported programme to End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria (ESGBV), in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Justice, through its Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Response Unit, with support from Federal Ministry of Education and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The renewed push formed the focus of a three-day capacity-building workshop that opened in Abuja to deepen stakeholders’ understanding and implementation of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on Legal Pathway for the Prosecution of Perpetrators of School-Related Gender-Based Violence, developed in 2024.

Addressing participants drawn from schools, law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations, and education institutions, Head of the SGBV Response Unit at Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Yewande Gbola-Awopetu, painted a grim picture of violence within Nigerian schools.

Citing findings from a systematic review, Gbola-Awopetu said the prevalence of gender-based violence in educational settings stood at 42.3 per cent, meaning that nearly half of female students in Nigeria experience some form of violence during their educational journey.

She disclosed that a 2025 study published in PLOS Global Public Health found that 69.4 per cent of adolescents in South-west Nigeria had experienced some form of sexual violence.

“These are not just statistics. They are lives disrupted, futures threatened and opportunities denied,” she said.

According to her, the consequences of violence in schools extend beyond immediate physical and emotional harm, contributing directly to Nigeria’s worsening out-of-school crisis.

Gbola-Awopetu state, “Girls account for 60 per cent of out-of-school children in Nigeria. Every girl who leaves school because she was assaulted, harassed or felt unsafe represents not only a personal tragedy but a permanent loss to Nigeria’s human capital.”

She lamented that many incidents of abuse went unreported and poorly documented, allowing perpetrators to escape accountability while survivors suffer in silence.

“Too many cases go undocumented. Too many survivors are denied justice. Too many institutions lack the procedural clarity required to respond effectively,” she added.

Gbola-Awopetu described SOP as not merely another policy document but as “a coordinated accountability framework” designed to improve reporting, evidence preservation and prosecution of perpetrators of school-related gender-based violence.

Representing International IDEA, the GBV Policy and Strategy Development Specialist and Component One Lead of the ESGBV Programme, Ms. Melissa Omene, said violence in schools had assumed several forms, including sexual abuse, harassment, exploitation, bullying, corporal punishment, technology-facilitated violence, and harmful traditional practices.

“Recent studies reveal that 18 per cent of sexual violence incidents occur in schools, while 25 per cent of children report experiencing corporal punishment by teachers. These are not just statistics; they reflect the lived experiences of children,” she said.

According to her, children who suffer violence are significantly more likely to drop out of school, perform poorly academically and experience long-term psychosocial difficulties, with girls and other vulnerable groups disproportionately affected.

She stressed that frontline actors in schools and protection services have a critical role to play in breaking the cycle of abuse.

“Your actions, or inaction, can determine whether a child receives protection, support and justice, or remains silent,” she said.

The initiative comes at a time when concerns are mounting over the safety of learning environments in Nigeria. The country already has one of the world’s highest numbers of out-of-school children, estimated at more than 18 million by recent government and development partner assessments, with insecurity, poverty, early marriage and violence identified as key drivers of school exclusion, particularly among girls.

School-related gender-based violence has also increasingly become a global concern. The United Nations has repeatedly warned that violence in and around schools undermines children’s rights to education, safety and dignity, while perpetuating cycles of poverty, inequality and social exclusion.

Speaking at the event, Head of Gender Unit at Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Augustina Apakasa, urged participants to translate the knowledge gained during the training into practical action in their respective institutions.

Apakasa said, “Every child, and I mean every child, in Nigeria deserves to learn in an environment free from fear, discrimination and violence.

“Together, we can build schools where every child is loved, every child is valued and every child is protected.”

Executive Director of Protect the Child Foundation, Mrs. Elizabeth Ebulejonu Achimugu, described teachers as critical first responders because of their daily interactions with children and their ability to detect warning signs early.

Achimugu said, “Securing justice for one child, whether a girl or a boy, is not the responsibility of a single individual. It requires teamwork, knowledge, coordination and cooperation.”

She explained the training was specifically designed to operationalise the SOP and ensure that perpetrators of abuse do not escape punishment regardless of their status.

“The aim is to ensure that perpetrators do not go unpunished, whether the perpetrator is another child, a teacher or an adult,” she said.

Participants at the workshop were expected to replicate the training within their institutions and strengthen school-based response systems as part of broader efforts to create safer learning environments, improve access to justice for survivors, and reduce impunity for perpetrators of violence against children in Nigerian schools.