NGO launches app to combat online gender-based violence

An AI chatbot described as a “tool of justice” to support individuals facing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) has been launched by a Non-Governmental Organisation.

The Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI) launched “Kemi,” a survivor-centred, AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot co-created by survivors to combat TFGBV.

According to a statement issued on Friday, the launch, which held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja on Wednesday, was supported by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

The event brought together global development leaders, policymakers, civil society advocates, and youth voices from across West and Central Africa.

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The launch event for ‘Kemi’ highlights the need for digital safety and localised solutions to combat online violence against women and girls in West and Central Africa, the NGO said.

The event was tagged “Championing Digital Safety for Women and Girls Across West and Central Africa.”

“Too many survivors suffer in silence not because they want to, but because the systems meant to protect them are often inaccessible or untrustworthy,” Nurah Jimoh-Sanni, the Executive Director, said in her opening address.

“Kemi is different. It listens without judgment, supports without delay, and was co-created by survivors themselves. It reflects our belief that safety online is not a luxury, it is a right.”

According to the group, Kemi’s launch followed the results of the NGO’s multi-country survey conducted earlier in 2025 across six countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin, Togo, and Senegal.

The survey revealed that 92 per cent of respondents, mostly women, had experienced some form of TFGBV, including cyberbullying, non-consensual image sharing, and doxxing.

The NGO stated that it is “alarming” that fewer than half have ever reported these experiences.

The survivors cited stigma, fear of blame, and lack of trust in support systems as major barriers to seeking help.

Abideen Olasupo, the Global Director who led the development and launch of ‘Kemi,’ said they not only identify a problem.

“We held 41 feedback and testing workshops across the region to ensure that the solution we created wasn’t just high-tech, it was high-trust,” Mr Olasupo said.

“From research to real-time support, our approach ensures that no survivor is left behind.”

About “Kemi”

The survivor-centred WhatsApp chatbot ‘Kemi’ is available in multiple local languages and guides users through discreet conversations about online abuse, self-help strategies, and available support resources.

The chatbot can be accessed on WhatsApp via 09124648826.

Alongside “Kemi,” the NGO introduced several resources to strengthen the response ecosystem to tackle TFGBV, including: The Methodological Report on TFGBV Database Development in West and Central Africa, HerSafeSpace: Digital Safety Manual.

Others are TFGBV in Nigeria: Mapping Harms, Gaps and Pathways to Justice, Power and Influence in Addressing TFGBV in Nigeria and Staying Safe With Tao: A Guidebook on Becoming a Digital Champion.

Each resource draws from field data, survivor testimonies, and community consultation to equip policymakers with actionable strategies to prevent and respond to online violence.

READ ALSO: Community, religious leaders seek end to gender-based violence in West Africa

Meanwhile, a key highlight of the event was the launch of the Male Allyship Programme, to engage men and boys in combating online and offline violence against women and girls.

Ketty Regis, Gender Equality Attaché at the French Embassy in Nigeria, commended the NGO’s work as a “brilliant demonstration of what innovation can achieve when it is rooted in empathy, data, and human rights.”