Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has launched a new Gender-Based Violence Prevention Policy aimed at moving the state’s response from mainly reacting to reported cases towards preventing violence before it occurs.
Represented by Secretary to the State Government Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, Sanwo-Olu spoke at the National Convening of Gender-Based Violence State Coordinators in Lagos.
He said survivor protection, medical support, investigation and prosecution remained essential but argued that government and communities must also confront the attitudes, behaviors and social conditions that enable violence.
The governor said prevention required early education on dignity, respect, consent, boundaries and responsibility, as well as stronger involvement from families, schools, traditional institutions, religious bodies, the media, businesses and civil society.
Lagos State’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency reported handling 33,009 cases between September 2021 and July 2026, with more than 10,600 children affected by domestic violence during the period.
Attorney-General Lawal Pedro, SAN, said the new framework was designed to address risk factors before violence occurred.
The policy is organized around four pillars: primary prevention through education and social-norm change; secondary prevention through legal and institutional mechanisms; survivor-centered services; and stronger capacity for first responders.
Implementation will be coordinated by a multi-sectoral technical working group led by the DSV Agency, with monitoring tools including localized indicators, heat maps, quarterly reviews and public reporting.
The state said the framework would operationalize its zero-tolerance position on sexual and gender-based violence.
