Youths selected from across the FCT had a one-day capacity-building workshop on Cyber-Facilitated Sexual Gender-Based Violence to increase awareness and increase youths’ engagement in advocacy against CFSGBV.

The Minister of Youths, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim who was represented by Amina Mohammad Dauran, a director at the ministry in her keynote emphasised the importance of digital literacy for youths as a prerequisite for navigating the ills of the cyberspaces and called for the involvement of non-state actors in fighting this menace. Prof Fatima Waziri-Azi, Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking NAPTIP represented by Isah Abdulkarim, Chief Intelligence Officer educated the youths on tips to stay cyber security conscious and how to identify links used by cyber fraudsters to perpetrate different acts of crime against unsuspecting online users. Yewande Gbola-Awopetu, Head, of the SGBV Response Unit, Federal Ministry of Justice noted the successes that have been facilitated through the unit and urged security operatives and the judiciary to beef up access to justice on cases of SGBV. Awopetu also noted that the ministry is committed to upscaling efforts to breach the justice gaps for survivors of SGBV to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book in good time. Onyinye Ndubisi, Gender and Human Rights Programme Lead, UNDP encouraged the youths to be cyber security alert with interactions on social media platforms. Oluwatoyosi Giwa, Project Manager Access to Justice, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme Phase II
International IDEA urged the participants to be mindful of their actions online as they may unintentionally contribute to online gender-based violence against other netizens. Iheanyichi Amanambu, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs noted effects of cyber-facilitated SGBV were enormous and posed a lot of dangers to the abused urging all stakeholders to fight the menace.
Uche Henry Ifeanyi, Commissioner of Police who heads the Cybercrime unit of Nigerian Police Force advised parents & guardians to be sensitive to the dangers of exposing children to the internet without adequate restrictions and guidance. Ifeanyi said the force is committed to reducing the menace of cyber crimes as Nigeria ranks second highest in the world on internet romance scams noting that more people need to be aware of the ills being perpetrated on the internet. Mufuliat Fijabi, executive director of Sustainable Gender Action Initiative noted the need for a holistic approach from all stakeholders involved in the usage of cyberspaces to encourage the youths to fight cyber-facilitated SGBV. Toun Okewale Sonaiya, CEO Women Radio 91.7 urged the youths to cascade the knowledge garnered at training and engage their friends and family to ensure more youths are aware and become vanguard of change on the internet.

The one-day capacity building was moderated by Esther Alaribe and organised by Sustainable Gender Action initiative in collaboration with Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation in commemoration of 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence as marked across the globe from November 25, the international day for the elimination of violence against women and girls to December 10, Human Rights Day.