FAME Foundation has raised the alarm over what it described as a “national emergency” of digital violence in Nigeria, revealing that an estimated 68.9 million Nigerians are currently victims of various forms of online abuse.
Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi, executive director, disclosed in Abuja yesterday during the launch of the 2025 16 Days of Activism campaign themed “UNiTE to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls.”
Atoyebi said the staggering figure — contained in Gatefield’s State of Online Harms 2025 report —shows that online abuse had reached epidemic levels, affecting roughly one in three Nigerians, and disproportionately targeting women and girls.
She added that the same report shows 97 per cent of Nigerian children have experienced some form of sexual exploitation online, while 89 per cent have received unwanted sexual content or requests —figures she described as “deeply troubling and unacceptable.”
Atoyebi warned that the situation is worsened by the rising trend of private images and videos being shared online without consent, a violation that often leaves women and girls traumatised, shamed, and driven off digital platforms.
Launching the campaign —which runs from November 25 to December 10 — she stressed that digital violence cannot be dismissed as mere “online behaviour,” as victims suffer real-life consequences ranging from trauma to reputational damage and economic loss.
This comes as the Nasarawa government has expressed worry, as 852 cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) have been reported in the state from January to September this year.
Hauwa Jugbo, commissioner for Women Affairs and Humanitarian Services, disclosed this at a press conference as part of an event commemorating the 2025 16 Days of Activism against GBV in the state.
She said despite efforts of the Governor Abdullahi Sule-led administration in domesticating the Violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law and prosecution of perpetrators, the cases were still on the rise.
The commissioner disclosed that the government would continue to ensure stringent measures against perpetrators in line with the law, irrespective of their relationship with the victims, to serve as a deterrent to others.
Jugbo also lamented the increasing cases of technology-facilitated GBV and urged women and other vulnerable groups to be wary of whom they engage with on digital platforms.
She listed some of the technology-facilitated GBV to include cyberstalking, online harassment, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, online bullying, blackmail, digital impersonation and identity theft.
The Katsina State government, on its part, has warned GBV perpetrators that stringent measures await them if caught.
