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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
A baseline assessment on conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Benue State has revealed a disturbing rise in cases, forcing female pupils and students out of school through teenage pregnancy, commercial sex, child trafficking and increased exposure to HIV/AIDS.
The assessment, commissioned by the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC), is part of a broader intervention being implemented in the state in collaboration with the Justice and Rights Initiative (JRI).
Funded by the Ford Foundation, the initiative is being carried out in Benue and Imo states to tackle the growing menace of SGBV, particularly in conflict-affected communities.
Speaking during an advocacy visit to the Benue State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare in Makurdi, CIRDDOC Project Manager, Mr Paschal Anozie, said the project is focused on preventing SGBV in crisis-prone areas.
He said the organisation had already conducted a baseline survey to better understand the scale of the problem and develop targeted intervention strategies.
Anozie said three pilot local government areas had been selected for the project in Benue State, adding that the visit to the ministry was aimed at deepening collaboration and charting a way forward. He stressed the importance of partnership with government institutions in tackling gender-based violence.
“As partners in progress, our goal is to reach a point where sexual and gender-based violence is significantly reduced, if not eliminated, in our society,” he said.
The team also presented an advocacy brief to the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare through the Secretary of the Committee of Practice, Mr Joseph Kwaghdega, urging stronger government commitment to implementing policies that prevent SGBV and protect vulnerable populations.
The project, titled “Strengthening Capacity and Oversight on the Use of Human Rights Principles in the Prevention of Conflict-Related Sexual and Gender-Based Violence”, is being implemented in partnership with Community and Youth Development Initiatives (CYDI) in Imo State.
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It aims to promote human rights, gender equality, access to justice and democratic values, while also reducing poverty and injustice.
According to the Benue State Development Plan (2025–2034), the government has outlined strategies to combat gender-based violence, including improving safety and security for women and girls, increasing support for survivors and reducing the stigma associated with reporting such cases. The plan projects a reduction in GBV cases from a baseline of 7,622 to 6,500 by 2027 and further to 4,000 by 2029.
To achieve these targets, an estimated public investment of more than N23.2 billion has been proposed for the period between 2025 and 2029. The advocates also called for increased budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare to strengthen implementation.
Responding, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Theresa Ikwue, acknowledged that tackling SGBV remains a core responsibility of the ministry.
She noted that while the government is making significant efforts, collaboration with development partners is essential to effectively address the crisis.
“Benue is a conflict-prone state, and we see these cases frequently. Government cannot do it alone, which is why partnerships like this are critical,” she said.
Ikwue also highlighted the role of displacement and conditions in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps as contributing factors to the rise in SGBV cases. She stressed the need for better planning of settlements, including proper separation of living spaces and the provision of basic amenities such as toilets and bathrooms, to reduce vulnerability.
According to her, “In prevention, you must start from the root because SGBV is increasing based on the crisis that are driving people from their homes, and the way the IDPs are settled also contribute. Some are into host communities, the way they live in one place with the opposite sex can give rise to this and the way they settlement in the IDP also contribute.”
She urged stakeholders to look at how settlements should be created, how men, women and girls should be accommodated, and how amenities such as bathrooms and toilets should be provided, saying poor settlement conditions give rise to SGBV.
She assured the visiting team of the ministry’s commitment to continued collaboration, stressing that a multi-sectoral approach involving government, security agencies and civil society is needed to reduce SGBV to the barest minimum.
