Nigeria: NAPTIP Says 58% of Survivors Fail to Seek Help After Sexual Violence

What the report says

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has highlighted what it described as a significant reporting gap in sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) cases in Nigeria. At a workshop in Abuja on 10 August 2026, the agency said 58% of survivors do not seek help or report abuse. It also cited a figure that 21% of Nigerian women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical or sexual violence.

The figures were presented at a two-day SGBV Media Corps Workshop organised by NAPTIP with support from the European Union’s ESGBV programme, which is implemented by International IDEA. The event also launched a media corps aimed at improving how journalists cover SGBV, with an emphasis on ethical, accurate and survivor-centred reporting. The initiative is being directed at the Federal Capital Territory and Benue, Kaduna and Oyo states.

NAPTIP officials said the media should do more than report isolated incidents and instead examine the social, cultural and institutional factors that allow abuse to continue. They stressed that reporting should protect survivors’ privacy and dignity, while helping them feel safer about coming forward.

The agency said it has rescued more than 3,000 people since January 2026 and secured over 20 convictions in SGBV-related cases, including three life sentences. It also said 34 states have domesticated the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, with Kogi and Delta still outstanding. The article also noted broader frameworks such as CEDAW, the Maputo Protocol and the Sustainable Development Goals as part of the wider policy context.