Beyond Purple: Nigeria Must Turn SGBV Awareness Into Real Action
Sexual and gender-based violence remains a grave crisis in Nigeria, cutting across class, faith and location. The Lagos State Government’s purple illumination of Alausa and public offices is a welcome sign of zero tolerance, but awareness campaigns must lead to practical protection, reporting channels and justice for survivors. Existing tools, including the Lagos Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, the Sex Offenders Register and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, need stronger public awareness and enforcement. Domestic abuse is not limited to beating. It includes emotional, financial, sexual, digital, reproductive and psychological abuse, and it must never be dismissed as a private family matter. Religious leaders, parents, schools, traditional institutions, the media and communities all have a duty to reject silence and challenge attitudes that excuse abuse. Young people should learn consent, healthy boundaries and the warning signs of controlling relationships, while schools must protect children and act firmly on allegations of misconduct. Nigeria needs more than symbolic gestures. Survivors need safe support systems, responsive policing, prompt investigations and consistent prosecution of offenders. The purple campaign must represent a lasting national commitment to protect victims and ensure that violence has no hiding place.
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