Nearly one in every two female students in Nigeria suffers some form of gender-based violence during school years, stakeholders said on Tuesday.
The trend is driving dropouts, trauma, and denial of justice.
The warning came as the Federal Government, European Union, and International IDEA launched a renewed initiative to improve justice pathways for abused children in schools.
The programme, under the EU-supported End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria initiative, is being implemented with the Federal Ministry of Justice, Education Ministry, and UNESCO.
It focused on training teachers, counsellors, police officers, and school administrators to identify, document, and prosecute offenders of school-related gender-based violence.
A three-day capacity-building workshop opened in Abuja to strengthen implementation of a 2024 Standard Operating Procedure on legal prosecution pathways.
Head of the SGBV Response Unit at the Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Yewande Gbola-Awopetu, said violence in schools is widespread and deeply damaging.
Citing research, she stated that prevalence stands at 42.3 per cent, meaning nearly half of female students experience violence in school settings.
She also referenced a 2025 PLOS Global Public Health study showing 69.4 per cent of adolescents in South-west Nigeria had experienced sexual violence.
“These are not just statistics. They are lives disrupted, futures threatened and opportunities denied,” she said.
Gbola-Awopetu linked school violence directly to Nigeria’s rising out-of-school population, especially among girls.
She noted that girls make up 60 per cent of Nigeria’s out-of-school children.
“Every girl who leaves school because she was assaulted, represents a permanent loss to Nigeria’s human capital,” she said.
She also warned that many cases go unreported, undocumented, and unpunished.
“Too many survivors are denied justice. Too many institutions lack procedural clarity,” she added.
She explained that the SOP is not just a policy document but a coordinated accountability framework.
It is designed to improve reporting systems, evidence preservation, and prosecution of offenders in school environments.
Representing International IDEA, Ms. Melissa Omene said violence in schools includes sexual abuse, harassment, bullying, corporal punishment, and technology-facilitated abuse.
She said 18 per cent of sexual violence incidents occur in schools, while 25 percent of children report corporal punishment by teachers.
“These are not just statistics; they reflect lived experiences of children,” she said.
Omene warned that victims are more likely to drop out, perform poorly, and suffer long-term psychological harm.
She said frontline actors in schools determine whether children receive protection or remain silent.
“Your actions, or inaction, can determine whether a child receives justice,” she said.
The Federal Ministry of Education urged participants to turn training into practical safeguarding measures in schools.
Mrs. Augustina Apakasa said every Nigerian child deserves a safe learning environment free from fear and violence.
“Every child deserves to learn in an environment free from fear,” she said.
Protect the Child Foundation’s Executive Director, Mrs. Elizabeth Ebulejonu Achimugu, said teachers are key first responders in detecting abuse.
She stressed that justice required coordination across institutions, not isolated efforts.
“Securing justice for one child… requires teamwork, knowledge, coordination and cooperation,” she said.
She added that the training aimed to ensure no perpetrator escapes accountability, regardless of status.
Participants are expected to replicate the training and strengthen school-based protection systems nationwide.
