The Federal Ministry of Justice (FMoJ) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have called for stronger legal protection, survivor-centred services and increased investments to address Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) within Nigeria’s Global Fund Grant Cycle 8 (GC8) funding framework.
The call was made during a one-day National Consultative Workshop on IPV/GBV Programming in Nigeria held in Abuja and organised by UNDP in collaboration with the Global Fund, UN Women, the Institute of Human Virology, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the Federal Ministries of Health, Justice, Women Affairs and Social Development, and other stakeholders.
Speaking, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation at the FMoJ, Mr Oyedepo Rotimi, said Nigeria’s efforts to combat HIV, tuberculosis and malaria would not succeed without addressing GBV, stigma, discrimination and structural inequalities.
Rotimi noted that although Nigeria’s HIV prevalence had declined to 1.4 per cent among the general population, key populations and their partners still accounted for about 40 per cent of new infections despite constituting less than five per cent of the population.
He said structural barriers, including discrimination in healthcare settings, fear of arrest, stigma and denial of services, continued to prevent vulnerable groups from accessing critical healthcare.
“Gender-based violence and intimate partner violence are not incidental to the health crisis. They are structural drivers of it. Every GBV case that goes unreported, every IPV survivor who avoids a health facility because she fears her partner will find out, represents a health system failure with a legal dimension,” he said.
Rotimi also highlighted the vulnerability of inmates in correctional facilities, noting that overcrowding, poor healthcare access and prolonged detention increased the risks of HIV and tuberculosis transmission.
He submitted that the GC8 framework must prioritise interventions for persons in custodial settings, survivors of human trafficking and other vulnerable groups.
According to him, the Ministry has continued to strengthen legal-health referral pathways, train prosecutors in trauma-informed practice and advocate the removal of barriers preventing adolescents and key populations from accessing health services.
He urged stakeholders to integrate GBV screening and first-line support into HIV and tuberculosis services, strengthen forensic medical services, improve referral pathways and provide adequate financing for survivor support programmes nationwide.
Country Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in Nigeria, Ms Krittayawan Boonto, described gender-based violence as a persistent challenge that continues to affect millions globally despite existing legal protections.
While acknowledging Nigeria’s progress through laws such as the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act and the Child Rights Act, Boonto, noting the inconsistency of enforcement, expressed concern over reported GBV cases between January and April 2026.
Boonto urged stakeholders to ensure that GBV and IPV interventions were clearly defined, adequately funded and backed by measurable targets within the Global Fund GC8 proposal.
“We are here to make the money work. If these interventions are not clearly programmed with indicators, targets and accountability mechanisms, they risk remaining vague aspirations,” she said.
Head of HIV at the Global Fund, Dr Izukanji Sikazwe, described GBV and IPV as major barriers to ending the HIV epidemic.
“We are committed to ending the HIV epidemic, but there are key structural and social barriers that make it difficult to achieve epidemic control, and one of them is gender-based violence.
Sikazwe said, “We are looking at where the Global Fund and the Government of Nigeria can invest resources to reduce the threat of GBV and IPV so that individuals can access HIV prevention and treatment services.”
Earlier, UNDP Gender Lead Onyinye Ndubuisi said the workshop was to review Nigeria’s gender equality, GBV and IPV landscape; identify gaps requiring strategic investments; and examine barriers affecting access to services and health outcomes.
“We want to build a coordinated platform and strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration. We want evidence-based recommendations that will inform the GC8 funding request and other programme areas. This workshop is an opportunity to reflect on how we can advance survivor-centred, rights-based, gender-transformative and inclusive approaches to programming,” she said.
Ndubuisi said stakeholders were advocating recognition of GBV interventions as standalone programme components within health and development initiatives.
Also, Senior Human Rights Adviser at the NHRC, Mr Hilary Ogbonna, underscored the importance of strong preventive measures, accessible reporting channels, quality support systems, legal protection and community engagement. He also called for well-funded, measurable interventions to ensure no vulnerable person was left behind.
Recommendations and submissions from the consultation are expected to contribute to Nigeria’s GC8 funding request and strengthen efforts to address the intersections between gender inequality, violence and public health outcomes nationwide.
