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There is nothing as motivating like a woman who is passionate about humanity, and has a strong affinity for change. Dr. Nimi Stephanie  Ekere is a Consultant Family Physician, a Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Family Physicians.  She is also a Fellow of  the Institute of Management Consultants and a Certified Management Consultant.  Dr. Ekere is a Certified Management Specialist with distinction in Time Management from the London Graduate School.  Dr Nimi Ekere is also a child advocate, author, speaker, coach and humanitarian.

Dr. Ekere has practiced medicine in urban and rural areas for over 15 years and has endeared herself to her patients through her dedication to duties. She loves geriatric medicine and has had numerous training, workshops and certifications in geriatrics.  Dr Nimi Ekere also loves to guide children and teenagers into their full potential. She is a strong proponent of effective and intentional parenting. She convenes several sensitization programmes and has featured in many panels and conferences both in Nigeria and abroad. She is passionate about combating child sexual abuse, working through her foundation, the SmileandShine Children’s foundation, to tackle the menace.

She is also an author of 4 books for children, pre-teens, teenagers and parents on the dangers of child sexual abuse with effective remedies. three of these books are government-approved for use at schools in Lagos State. Just recently, all four of her books were approved and added to the curriculum of the Rivers State ministry of education to be used in primary and secondary schools in the state.

Nimi Ekere was recently featured by the York City Journal, as one of the most Inspiring Women to look out for in 2022.

Childhood Influence

I grew up in an environment of empathy, kindness, and charity. These qualities literally formed my ideologies about life. I grew up seeing my mother give and care for people so genuinely. Interestingly, my mother also saw her mum give out the little she had to the needy. Helping people and being kind come naturally for me and this is because this was all I saw around me whilst growing up.

On another hand, the zeal to read  also came from seeing  my dad read lot and this of course,  influenced me a great deal. I read a lot of newspapers,  journals, articles and even novels. This made me love to write and I started writing so early. I would write poems and short stories. I wrote a whole lot .So yes, I think my childhood prepared me directly or indirectly for what I do now.

Inspiration behind SmileandShine Children’s Foundation

I saw a profound need to save children as I had seen and related with a lot of them who were hurting so badly from the horrendous effects of sexual abuse. I had also encountered some adults who were still grappling with the effect of sexual abuse suffered in childhood. The scary part was that a lot of their parents were completely ignorant and even the few that knew their children were abused preferred to keep it “secret”.  Sexual Abuse was and still is an unpopular area to delve into, as the culture of silence has eaten deep into our fabrics as a people. It is said that our people wear silence like a badge of honour. People still hold on to false dogmas about sexual abuse and are quick to judge and shame the victim rather than the perpetrator.

The victims and their families suffer morbidly from stigmatization in their communities,  schools, market and even places of worship. I knew that I could change the narrative as I saw more and more children being sexually abused, leaving them with so many life long complications. I also noticed that a lot of parents didn’t know how and when to discuss sex education with their children. They would rather not discuss it or just keep waiting till the child is “old enough” , by which time they would have been fed with so many false information by their peers or even the internet. Being that I love children so much, I knew I could do my part to ensure that children are  protected  and kept safe from abuse especially sexual abuse.  This gave rise to SmileandShine Children’s Foundation, a non profit organisation that is aimed at preventing child sexual abuse and profering solutions to victims and those at risk, including members of their families.

We do a lot to create so much awareness about this menace by educating and enlightening children and even the general public on ways that child sexual abuse can be prevented. We also offer interventions in the sad event of an abuse. Smile and Shine Children’s Foundation offers primary medical and psychological care and in collaboration with other NGOs, ensure that justice is served and rightly so.

Impact and lessons from practicing medicine in urban and rural areas for 15 years

I would say that I am very dedicated and proficient at my job and this is judging by the wonderful feedbacks I get from my patients and even my employers. Beyond the fact that I love my profession, I see it as a CALLING  and intentionally love to make an impact in the lives of my patients. And being a Family Physician has helped me so much in this regard because it  actually goes beyond treating symptoms,  it is about the person holistically.  Being a Family Physician entails that I provide continuing,  comprehensive and  coordinated health care  to individuals and families across all ages, genders and  diseases and this requires a great deal of compassion, good interpersonal skills,  good work ethics, maturity, willingness to learn more and more,  patience and of course expertise, and letting these become a part of my life has helped shape me to the amazing woman and professional that I am today. Additionally, practicing in rural areas makes you more humane as you literally see what a lot of the poor populace go through. It brings out the humanitarian in you as you see yourself inevitably paying a lot of medical bills and this is why I advocate an open health insurance policy for every citizen of the country. As a rule, equity is my watchword at every point, so no matter the age, sex, race, socio-economic status of a person, it is non negotiable that they are treated impartially. Every life is important and this means that I go the extra mile to give ALL my patients the best. So whether it is in the rural or urban setting, my consistency and commitment to patient care remain unwavering. The lessons I have learnt from these years of practice would be that having a great measure of  empathy, and emotional intelligence are very important beyond your expertise. Being empathetic makes you do more to ensure that your patient gets the best that you can give, and emotional intelligence helps you understand that a sick patient may not be so polite or put together, so you are much more patient or tolerant.

 My books and testimonials from those who read it

I am an author of four books that address the issue of Child Sexual Abuse. Being a child advocate and working closely with abused children,  I  thought that teaching them  through  story telling about self protection, body boundaries and having a good parent- child relationship would be more productive and far- reaching. I thought that writing age-appropriate books would help them a great deal to understand better about the menace and ways to tackle it . I had always wanted to write children books and I was sure that writing on child sexual abuse in words that were comprehensible and relatable to the children would help them stay safe. Being one who loves children and works with them, I knew that writing age- specific books would resonate better with them and help drive home the message more profoundly, so I wrote “Some Parts Are Special” for children aged two to seven,  “Setting  Boundaries” for pre-teenagers, “Sparkles at Dawn” for teenagers and young adults.

I also thought it was ideal to write for parents and guardians who are literally primarily responsible for the upbringing of the child. Sex education is inevitable in parenting and a lot of parents do not even know what to do in this regard. “Into the Light”,  is my fourth book for parents, written to ensure that parents are equipped with the Whens, Hows and Whats of sex and sexuality education.  It is a well researched exposé that dymystifies sex education, letting parents and guardians know that sex education starts with an efficient parent- child relationship. This book will help parents and guardians know about child sexual abuse, how it can be prevented and what to do in the sad event of a molestation.

My books are approved in Lagos State Government to be used in primary and secondary schools in the state. Also in Rivers State,  all four of my books are in the curriculum of the Rivers State ministry of education and one of them is particularly recommended for use in the Junior WAEC Examination.  My gratitude goes to the governors of Rivers and Lagos States for this step taken to ensure that good  books on sex education are introduced in schools. It will go a long way to curb the menace. As regards the testimonials from my books, I will say that it has been amazing and mindblowing.  I get feedbacks about how children are so bold and empowered after reading the books. I must add that apart from the values and lessons that the books teach,  they were carefully and deliberately written to also enhance the children’s comprehensibility and improve their vocabulary. Children who were not bold to speak about body boundaries are now bold to say that no one has has the right to see or touch their special body parts( private parts). It’s been wonderful and I am so happy that these books are really impactful,  not just in Nigeria but globally.

My York City Journal feature  as one of the most inspiring women to look out for in 2022

It felt like a dream. To say I was exhilarated would be putting it mildly. I was even happier  and more shocked to know that I was the only black featured.. This just goes to say that our good works do not go unnoticed. God is watching and He definitely rewards our labour and sacrifice. People are watching too and as long as you are passionate and tenacious at what you do, the sky would not be your limit but your starting point. All the glory goes to God. I thank my husband and children for the support and motivation always. You truly cannot live your dreams and go very far without the support of a good spouse.

My husband has supported me amazingly. My kids too have been my source of strength. They are so excited to give me their clothes and belongings to the less privileged.  When we go to rural communities for our sensitization outreaches, my kids are always so happy to share their clothes, bags, shoes and toys to indigent children. This feature is an honour and I do not take if forgranted. I specifically give all the glory to God and promise to continue to do more not only for the Nigerian or African child but for  children all over the world.

Parenting and the ills of the society

I think the ills of today would have been curbed drastically if more attention was paid on effective parenting. A lot of innovations which were absent in the past but present now have their advantages but we know that there are lots of disadvantages associated with them. For example,  in the past,  children did not have to study with laptops and tablets. It was easier to monitor what children did at the time, not forgetting that the economy was better and at least one parent was more available. Right now, parents have to work really hard to give children the basic things of life and this leaves the children without adequate care, making them very vulnerable to abuse of all forms. So, whilst the ills of today will not go away any time soon,  parents must be ahead of their game with better and more result- oriented parenting skills that will keep the children safe and make them responsible adults. Parents must do more than parents in the past did as kids now are more knowledgeable and even more exposed to vices and ills via technology and westernization. This is no walk in the park as it looks overwhelming for parents but it is really achievable. My foundation ( smileandshine children’s foundation) has parenting classes and conferences and we are having quite a number of sessions this year. The aim is to help parents from all walks of life learn more about parenting and child protection in the digital age as this.

Other projects and activities

This year, we have quite a number of activities. I already mentioned the regular parenting classes and conferences we are putting together in a lot of states in the country. We hope to have  child protection conferences in as many states of the country as possible and this would involve children and parents. We also have a lot of programmes for  children in public and private schools to educate them on safety/ protection, morals and values. I am very passionate about the hard -to -reach children because a lot of them are left out in programmes like these, so we would deliberately be reaching out to them through various community sensitization programmes and a special project called the  “Talk to me project”, a programme that targets children in hard to reach areas,  teaching them about safety,  protection,  morals and career path. There is also the big  event, in September which is called ” the STRIVE conference, first of its kind for children, in Lagos State. This conference will have notable speakers, child advocates, religious leaders and role models speak to the children on how they can stay away from vices, protect themselves from abuse, live their dreams and become whatever they set their hearts to become. It is going to be a phenomenal one and the first of its kind in the country and Africa

3 women who inspire me and why

I have so many women that inspire me and yes, I keep adding to the list. I have been asked to mention 3 and I  will do just that(laughter). In no particular order, it would be: *Mrs Ibukun Awosika, I think she is phenomenal. Intelligent, humble, God fearing and so entrepreneurial. She is one woman that has excelled in every capacity and inspires me in no small measure.

*Prof Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, because she has literally raised the bar for women and proven that everything is possible for us as women if we believe and work hard. She has broken glass ceilings, challenging gender stereotypes in male dominated terrains. I see some of her attributes in me. Her resilience, tenacity and dedication to what she believes in, are qualities that women should strive to possess.

*Mrs Bola Tinubu, the founder of Ceceyarah Foundation is another woman that inspires me. Like me, she is a child advocate and I think she has done well in the area of child protection. She does inspire me a great deal.

Child sexual abuse advocacy, and the role of parents and Government  

The first line of defence for children is the parents who need to pay more attention to their child’s welfare, especially in the line of communication.  Parents need to communicate more with their children, a lot of times parents do not even know what is going on around their child even when the abuse takes place right in the home. Sometimes, children are so scared to discuss with their parents and they would prefer to walk the journey alone rather than tell anyone, including their parents. Again, parents need to be more intentional about their child’s safety and make efforts to ensure that their child is not put in harm’s way by anyone. For example, when you’re not with your child, make sure you run a background check on who is responsible for the child’s care, be it at school, church or even with relatives and  when you’re with your child, make time to cover for when you missed and what you missed.

Secondly, the government is the most equipped line of defence for the child. Policies need to be made in this regard, and enforced. For instance, child marriage is still boldly practiced in some parts of Nigeria without contention. Only the government can stop that. While 26 states have adopted the Child Rights Act, 10 states are yet to domesticate the CRA in their respective states. Even some of those states in which the Act has been domesticated, there are still concerns about enforcement. Lastly, we have to help ourselves in the society. We should watch out for possible predatorial tendencies, whether or not we are directly involved, and call out perpetrators. No one should be too big to pay for their crimes. If justice is rightly served, it would definitely serve as a deterrent to others and help a great deal to curb the menace.

One thing I wish I could change in the health sector

One thing I would change is the weak performance and famished state of the primary health care centres in the country.  I will strengthen and ensure viable and high performing primary health care services in all the 774 local government areas in the country and their  respective wards, and advocate for more budgetary allocation,  knowing that primary health care is the closest health care system to the common man and serves as a gate opener to other higher health care services. This will go a long way to significantly reduce morbidity and mortality in our country.

Being a Woman of Rubies

I would say that I am a woman of Rubies because I love to be the best at everything that I do. I go the extra mile for my patients, and I also believe that the depth of passion, dedication and hardwork I bring to my job(work) and the fact that I am very detailed make me endeared to my patients.  As a child advocate, I am very passionate about what I do. I put in my time, resources and all that I can give to ensure that children are safe. As a wife and mother,  I do my best to take care of the home front and also keep my kids safe.

See more photos of Dr. Nimi Ekere’s outreach programme;

 

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According to Vanguard, the Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi,said in a statement on Tuesday that an investigative team set up by the ministry was dispatched to unravel the cause of the illnesses.

The team comprised of officials from the State Epidemiology Team, Primary Health Care Services and Environmental Health Department of Lagos Mainland Local Government.

While reviewing preliminary reports of the investigations conducted by the team, Mr Abayomi said that the surveillance team identified what appeared to be a sporadic increase in upper respiratory tract infections, characterised by cough, catarrh, fever and weakness, across some schools.

According to him, the team has since visited Queens College and investigations are ongoing.

”Findings, according to the review of health records in the school sick bay, revealed that 89 students attended the clinic with influenza-like illnesses,” he said.

The commissioner said that a walk-through inspection to other facilities in the school revealed that environmental sanitation and water supply were optimal, but could be improved.

He also said that the incident was not an outbreak of any sort but an excessive number of reported cases, that needed to be investigated.

Abayomi said that nasal swab samples would be collected from students for confirmation of the cause of the illness.

“As we await a comprehensive report of the investigation being conducted, I will like to appeal to stakeholders of Queens College, other affected schools and residents of Lagos State to remain calm,” Abayomi added.

The students were informed that sexual harassment is both a civil wrong and a criminal offense.
The students were also reminded that rape and sexual assault by penetration carry life imprisonment, while sexual harassment is three years imprisonment.

In a bid to ensure continuous sensitization of students on sexual harassment and safety on campus, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team recently engaged students of both the University of Lagos and Lagos State University. The sensitization was done during orientation program for fresh students who have recently been enrolled into the two higher institutions.

The team spoke on the topic “Prevention of Rape and Sexual Assault on Campus.”

The focus on fresher students is key, as statistics have shown that they are at a greater risk of being sexually abused on campus, due to perceived naivety and an initial lack of safety awareness within campus or red flags they should be wary of.

They were also informed of what consent entails and understanding that consent is freely given, reversible and specific. The team also used this opportunity to address the criminality of sexual harassment, making it clear that students should report lecturers and people in authority in the respective institutions who solicit for sexual favors, or make unwelcome sexual advances that affect the students’ educational opportunity, or create intimidating, hostile or offensive learning environment. The students were informed that sexual harassment is both a civil wrong and a criminal offense.

The students were also enlightened on the appropriate channels through which reports of such acts can be made. Conversely, students were advised to report immediately to their course adviser, counselor or the Dean of Students Affairs. The orientation expatiated on the legal provision on sexual abuse in Lagos State. The students were also reminded that rape and sexual assault by penetration carry life imprisonment, while sexual harassment is three years imprisonment. The presentation also elaborated on the safety measures to take on campus, in social settings, and the steps to be taken if a student unfortunately falls victim to the vices. The students also received information, education, and communication materials with relevant contact details and quick steps to take in case of an emergency.

Ikimot Awojoju, a pupil from the Oyingbo area of Lagos state managed to find her way home after going missing for five years.

She was said to have been living with her guardian after her mother, Faidat Awojoju, passed away. She, however,  went missing while returning from school on July 23, 2014.

Ikimot’s guardian, Ajoke Abass, explained that she stopped active search for her after two years of fruitless effort, but kept on praying for her return.

Ajoke said, “Ikimot’s mother was an area sister to me and we took each other as family members. She already had a child before she got pregnant with Ikimot. The man responsible was not ready to accept the pregnancy and she wanted to abort it. I advised her against it and stood by her throughout the course of the pregnancy until she put to bed.

“I was the one looking after the child, while she was going about her business, because I am self-employed. When Ikimot clocked two years, her father came to apologise and promised to assume responsibility for the child’s upkeep, but he did not keep to his promise after her mother died.

“Ikimot was three when her mother died in 2011 and none of her family members was ready to take over the responsibility of taking care of her and her brother, so, I decided to take it up since I was the one taking care of her before and I was the one that encouraged her mother not to abort the pregnancy; Ikimot was in my custody and I took her older brother to one of my brothers, who is a cleric, to help me train him in the Islamic way.

“On the day that Ikimot went missing, she did not come back from school at the usual time and after some time, I told my children to go and check her in the school. They returned to say that they could not find her. I went to different police stations in search of her.

“I sold all I had to raise the money needed to conduct the search for her. After two years, my husband told me to stop searching and that I should just keep praying for her. And anytime my heart reached out to her, I would give alms to the poor on her behalf.”

Describing the day Ikomot returned, Abass said “On Tuesday, February 26, 2019, I was outside the house playing with my children, when one of my neighbours called my attention to a girl that stood afar off. She asked if I recognised her and I said no, but the girl was smiling at me. My neighbour asked the girl if she knew me and she replied that she used to live with me.

“I took a second look at her and that was when I was flooded with memories of what she looked like. She arrived around 10pm and people were with us till midnight. When I took her into the room, she noted that I had changed the position of the bed, which really confirmed that she was the one, but she no longer understood Yoruba as she could only speak pidgin English and Igbo.

“In the morning, I took her to the Denton Police Station and I explained everything to the officers there. They took her statement and she kept on repeating an address as the residence of her abductor. We went with the police to the address and the woman was arrested.

“At first, the woman claimed that she was Ikimot’s mother, but when she was asked to provide her childhood pictures, she said she did not have any. She was also unable to produce her birth certificate and the girl insisted that she was not her mother.

“I was asked to bring everything that could prove that she was mine and the police also requested that her father must come to the station to corroborate the girl’s statement, which he did. When he came, the girl also recognised him as her father but the woman kept on insisting that she was the mother of the child.”

It was also gathered that another child was recovered from the suspected abductor, Christiana Onuchukwu, who eventually allegedly confessed to the police to have bought the children for N350,000 each.

“The 12-year-old girl, who was released to me on Monday, said she found her way back by asking people for direction,” Abass added.

Narating her ordeal, Ikimot said, “On the day I was abducted, I was on my way back from school when a woman called me. When I went to meet her, she held my hand and took me away. One day, the woman I was made to live with (Onuchukwu) scolded me by saying that she would take me back to my family in Oyingbo and I held on to that.

“The day I wanted to leave, I kept telling people that I was going to Oyingbo and I was told to keep trekking. When I got to a point, I told a man that I was going to Oyingbo and he said that it was not far. He asked me if I had any money on me and I said no. He gave me N50 to board a tricycle.

“When I got to Oyingbo, I remembered that I usually passed through a rail track on my way back from school and I remembered that there was a storey building opposite the house I used to live in. That was how I was able to trace the house.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Chike Oti, said investigation into the matter was ongoing.

“The girl has been reunited with her family. The woman that was found with the children has been arrested and investigation is ongoing,” he stated.

 

 

Credit: herald.ng

The 2018 report of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team of the Ministry of Justice, Lagos State, has shown a 134 per cent increase in cases of rape, defilement and domestic violence handled by the agency compared to the previous year.

The report indicated that DSVRT handled 2,356 cases in 2018 – 1,312 higher than 1,044 cases treated in the preceding year. In the year under review, the agency recorded 1,750 domestic violence cases, 279 child abuse cases, 78 defilement cases, 44 cases of rape, 51 attempted rape cases and 154 other cases.

While the number of domestic violence cases increased by 817, the incidence of child abuse and defilement rose by 251 and 37 respectively. Rape cases was 24 higher compared to the 2017 report.

According to the 2018 statistics, the office on the average received 166 new cases monthly and got 840 genuine reports via the 6820 emergency short  code.

The report stated, “The team recorded a major increase in the number of cases handled in 2018. A total number of 2,356 cases, including 1,750 domestic violence cases, 279 child abuse cases, 78 defilement cases, 44 rape cases, 51 attempted rape cases and 154 other cases were handled. It was discovered that the number of cases increased by 134 per cent in the year 2018.

“DSVRT has responded to 439 reports of domestic violence, 215 reports of sexual abuse and 186 reports of child abuse – all reported via the 6820 platform. What is most exciting about the platform is that it breaks the initial barrier of people not wanting to make formal reports at an office or police station. We are now able to interact directly with survivors and concerned witnesses and take vital steps in dealing with a case.”

The report  added  that DSVRT focused on children who experienced violence  at  the hands of close relations, noting that a total number of 2,646 children were exposed to domestic violence within the home. Some of the children were said to have been taken through counselling programmes to ensure  that their experiences  did not have permanent and negative impacts on them.

The report said, “From January 2018 to December 2018, the attention of DSVRT was drawn to incidents of child abuse in 19 schools. All the erring schools are under investigation by the Office of Education Quality Assurance in the Ministry of Education. All the defilement cases have been taken to court.”

Credit: LIB

This is according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) final list of governorship candidates displayed on Thursday at its headquarters, Yaba.

The females eying the state governorship seat include Asisat Abdulraheem of the African Peoples Alliance (APA); Patience Omeebere of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Abiola Adeyemi of the Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC).

Others are Pauline Adegbe of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA); Omolara Adesanya of the Providence Peoples Congress (PPC); Oluwatoyin Ogunbambi of the Peoples Trust (PT) and Adebisi Ogunsanya of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).

They will slug it out with Mr Babajide Sanwo-olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Mr Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), among others in the March 2 poll.

The list showed that DPC has both its governorship and deputy governorship candidates as females while the other six female candidates have male deputies.

Also, 22 male governorship candidates have female deputies while the other 16 male candidates have male deputies.

 

Credit: Pulse News

11-year-old Misimi Isimi also known as ‘Miss Environmental’, is determined to save Lagos from all of its environmental waste.

Speaking to BBC, Isimi shared just how annoying waste disposal is in Lagos and her efforts to rid the city of its waste.

Isimi explained how a lot of adults are not environmentally responsible, and how she educates kids on proper waste disposal.

Watch her speak below:

Embedded video

BBC World Service

@bbcworldservice

This 11-year-old girl is on a mission to clean up pollution in Nigeria’s largest city.

More stories from around the world: https://bbc.in/2RkMExH

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Credit: Bella Naija, BBC

14-year old Gloria Ajala has become a Governor for a day in Lagos.

Gloria is a student of Lafiaji Senior High School and participated in the Lagos Spelling Bee competition.

Meanwhile, her benefits include: becoming the Governor of Lagos for a day and attending a cultural exchange programme in Finland with ‘her cabinet’.

She has received a cheque of N250,000 as the major award for winning the Spelling Bee contest.

The Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat-Oluranti Adebule also said Gloria would receive a University scholarship from the Lagos State Government.

Dr. Adebule commended other competitors saying that she is proud of them and is happy about their performance. Grace Ikhariale took second, and Oluwatosin Akinbode took third place.

Meanwhile, as Gloria becomes the Governor for one day, she would join the list of numerous people who have been entitled with this position.

 

 

Credit: fabwoman.ng

The Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), AIG Chris Olakpe (Rtd), disclosed that the development was part of actions an concerted efforts to tackle traffic jam in the state.

This was disclosed on Thursday, October 25, 2018, in a press release signed by, Mamud Hassan, LASTMA‘s Public Affairs Officer.

According to Olakpe, the committee consists of the Police, LASTMA, Federal Road Safety Commission, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and men from different military formations.

He expressed optimism that the officers would bring their experience and professionalism to compliment the efforts of existing LASTMA staff on ground.

Source: NAN, Pulse

Of the number, Alimosho Local Government Area has the highest number which was not diclosed.

Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, the Coordinator of the DSVRT, disclosed this on Thursday, October 18, 2018, at Roundtable with NGOs organised by the
European Union-sponsored Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme.

She said:

“The number of reports from the *6820# platform from July to September were 667.

“There were 179 domestic violence reports, 201 sexual abuse reports, 143 reports on child abuse and 144 actual cases.

“The local government area with the highest reports is Alimosho followed by Kosofe, Ikorodu and Ikeja.

“From July to September, the DSVRT attended to 442 clients, 41 of whom were male and 401 female.

“The statistics of the ages of the clients from zero to 17 years was 27; clients of ages 18 to 45 years were 378 and ages 46 years and
above were 37.”

Vivour-Adeniyi noted that the purpose of the roundtable with the NGOs was to create a synergy between the organisations and the
DSVRT in fighting gender-based violence.

“We need a forum to share our successes and challenges as well create a centralised database of NGOs,” she said.

Also speaking, Mrs Jibola Ijimakin, the Coordinator of ROLAC, highlighted the purpose of the organisation which is to implement
the work of the justice sector in Nigeria.

“This is to be done in collaboration with key Nigerian institutions and partners. The purpose of ROLAC is to enhance good governance in Nigeria.

“This is to be done by contributing to the strengthening of the rule of law and curbing corruption, reducing impunity and improving
access to justice for women, children and persons with disabilities,”
 she said.

Ijimakin noted that ROLAC conducted an assessment of the implementation of the Domestic Law in Lagos in June and realised it had
low level of partnerships with NGOs.

She added that the meeting was to bridge the gap between ROLAC and the NGOs.

“The assessment was to note the priority areas the ROLAC should support.

“One of the key findings was that we needed to have more collaboration with NGOs beyond the DSVRT to share information with
NGOs about what we are doing,” she said.

In her address of welcome, Mrs Biola Oseni, the Director of the Directorate of Citizens’ Rights, said the roundtable  was to highlight the importance of NGOs in tackling the scourge of domestic violence in Lagos State.

“In its response to Sexual and Gender Based Violence, DSVRT has taken cognisance of the fact that the NGOs are the first port of call
for most survivors due to its mien.

“We are therefore not oblivious of the roles NGOs and Civil Society Organisations play in addressing issues of domestic violence
in Lagos State and indeed Nigeria.”

Oseni said the Lagos State Government intended to create a directory of NGOs that respond to Gender-Based Violence.

It is our earnest desire that after this roundtable there would be an improvement in synergy between NGOs and DSVRT.

“We hope to also create a directory of NGOs that provides Gender-Based Violence Responses in the state,” she said.

Credit: pulse.ng