First lady, Oluremi Tinubu, says she remains steadfast in empowering women economically, promoting education for girls, and supporting survivors of abuse with resources needed to rebuild their lives.

She gave the assurance in Abuja on Wednesday at a high-level multi-sectoral and policy dialogue to end violent crime in Nigeria, alongside the launch of the 2024 Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Report.

She was represented at the event by the wife of the speaker of the House of Representatives, Fatima Abbas.

The policy dialogue was organised by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), with support from the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), the European Union (EU), and other partners.

The event also commemorated the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

Mrs Tinubu noted that through the Renewed Hope Initiative, and in collaboration with international partners, all 36 states and the FCT now had dedicated hotlines for reporting gender-based violence.

She said stakeholders must challenge harmful cultural norms and attitudes that perpetuate abuse, support survivors, amplify their voices, and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable.

“We gather here today to mark a significant global campaign that unites individuals, organisations, and governments to end violence against women, girls, and persons in Nigeria.

“This annual campaign is a call to action and a reminder that violence against women and girls is a grave infringement of human rights and a threat to our progress as a nation.

“Gender-based violence and other violent crimes in Nigeria pose a threat to everyone, regardless of age, gender, or social status,” she said.

The first lady stressed the need to build a Nigeria where every woman and girl could live, work, and dream in dignity and peace.

In his keynote address, the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Lateef Fagbemi, said trafficking in persons and gender-based violence were not only breaches of national laws but fundamental assaults on humanity.

Represented by Yewande Awopetu, head of the SGBV response unit, Mr Fagbemi said those crimes violated the dignity and rights of citizens, especially women and children who constituted the majority of victims.

He reiterated that no single agency or organisation could successfully combat such complex and transnational crimes alone, stressing the need for multi-sectoral collaboration.

“The fight against human trafficking and gender-based violence demands a coordinated, comprehensive and sustained response that leverages the strengths and expertise of government agencies, civil society, international partners, traditional and religious institutions, and communities across Nigeria,” he said.

He noted that Nigeria remained a source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking, with thousands, mostly women and girls, trafficked annually for sexual exploitation, forced labour, and other forms of modern slavery.

Earlier, the director-general of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu-Bello, said the presence of stakeholders demonstrated Nigeria’s readiness to move beyond fragmented approaches and adopt an integrated framework for protecting citizens, especially women, children, and vulnerable groups.

She said Nigeria had experienced significant social, economic, technological, and demographic changes in recent years, which, though bringing opportunities, had also intensified vulnerabilities and widened the range of violent crimes.

Mrs Adamu-Bello added that GBV remained one of the most persistent threats, with alarming rates of sexual assault, domestic violence, emotional abuse, and harmful cultural practices that left survivors traumatised and communities destabilised.

She assured that NAPTIP would continue to identify and prosecute perpetrators, while commending partners for their continued support.

(NAN)