About 3,215 children in Lagos were subjected to various forms of abuse between January and December 2024, according to data from the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA).
According to a report by The Punch, the data showed that children made up more than a third of the 9,279 total domestic violence cases recorded within the year.
The remaining 6,064 cases involved adult male and female victims.
The abuses ranged from sexual assault to emotional abuse and other forms of domestic violence.
Notably, the majority of the 2,708 perpetrators were relatives or individuals familiar to the victims, while only 250 cases involved strangers.
Speaking on the government’s multi-pronged response to the crisis, Executive Secretary of the DSVA, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said Lagos had adopted both technology-driven and preventive strategies.
“In terms of education, we are working very closely with the Ministry of Education and the Office of Education Quality Assurance,” she said.
“We have developed a curriculum for our Kings and Queens Club where we teach children about sexual and reproductive rights and sexual and gender-based violence.
“We speak to them about gender equality because we know that if we get it right from that level, these children will grow up knowing that gender equality is something that should not be feared but embraced. When a boy knows his role and a girl knows hers, that imbalance is reduced in adulthood.”
Vivour-Adeniyi emphasized that a key part of the agency’s mandate is enforcing the Child Protection Policy, instituted by an Executive Order in December 2016.
“Our approach is not just remedial but also preventive. We ensure that child-centred institutions, especially schools, have clear procedures to prevent GBV and respond appropriately when it occurs,” she explained.
She also highlighted the pivotal role of parents in safeguarding children and noted that the agency had turned to digital tools to engage them more effectively.
“We’ve embarked on various Parents’ Association conferences, but last year, we decided to leverage technology. Through our Safeguarding and Child Protection Online Learning Platform, we introduced a free online course for parents.
“Over 13,000 parents have taken that course. The aim is to build their capacity to engage their children on child rights, abuse, body autonomy, grooming, and the steps to take if abuse occurs,” she said.
To further deepen outreach, children are also engaged directly through the Kings and Queens Club for secondary schools and the SAC initiative for primary schools.
Reacting to the statistics, Ololade Ajayi, founder of DOHS Cares Foundation and curator of femicide reports, voiced concern over what she believes is an underreported crisis.
“First, the number is more than that. Those are just the reported cases. Implementation of the law is the problem.
“Will the police allow the law to take its proper course—by intervening, investigating, making arrests, and arraigning these perpetrators?” she asked.
Ajayi added, “Law enforcement would have frustrated half of the reported cases before they got to court. For those that do get to court, half of them will be frustrated by the arduous process of seeking justice because there is a lack of support systems or resources to pursue justice.”
She called for urgent reforms in the justice system and stronger support mechanisms to ensure victims receive timely and meaningful justice.
