The development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) is hosting a one-day event in Abuja to launch a research report titled “Digital Threats to Women in Politics in Nigeria: Experiences of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TF-GBV) and Political Parties’ Responses.”
The event brings together policymakers, political parties, civil society organisations, the media, and development partners to share key findings on technology-facilitated gender-based violence in Nigerian politics and mobilise stakeholders to implement actionable recommendations.
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dRPC led the research under the Advancing Learning and Innovation on Gender Norms (ALIGN) platform, with funding from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).
The report shows how digital spaces are increasingly used to silence and intimidate women in Nigerian politics. It also highlights how social and gender norms shape political parties’ responses to rising online abuse, such as harassment, cyberstalking, doxxing, and other forms of digital attacks targeting women seeking or holding elective positions.
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The project documents real experiences of technology-facilitated gender-based violence and examines how political parties react to such incidents.
Organisers said it aims to generate evidence-based recommendations to help political parties, digital platforms, and regulators build safer and more inclusive political spaces for women.
Preliminary findings reveal that most political parties lack internal mechanisms to address TF-GBV. Many women also hesitate to report incidents due to stigma or fear of political repercussions, findings show.
The main objective of today’s programme is to present the key findings and mobilise policymakers, political parties, civil society groups, and the media to act on the recommendations.
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Panel: Digital Threats to Women in Politics in Nigeria
Panellists include Olayinka David-West, a professor at Lagos Business School; Adebowale Olorunmola of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy; Maryam Gwadabe of the Blue Sapphire Hub Foundation, and Chioma Ugwu from the Department of Political and Administrative Studies, University of Port Harcourt.
A fireside chat will also be held on “Political Parties and Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence: From Silence to Action.” Moderated by Musa Umar, acting director of research at NIPSS, the session will feature Yusuf Dantalle, chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC); Mimidoo Achakpa, co-convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room; Mary Idele, national women leader of the All Progressives Congress; Chinyere Marvellous of the IPAC Women’s Wing; Lakunuya Bello, director of gender and inclusivity at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); and Ojogun Osifo, director-general of the National Population Commission.
Stay on this page as PREMIUM TIMES provides live updates from the event scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m.
9:50 a.m.
The moderator and compere, Umar Kawu, called the event to order.
9:51 a.m.
The event officially commenced with the singing of the National Anthem, followed by a prayer.
9:54 a.m.
The Master of the Ceremony invited the Hotel Safety Manager to brief participants on safety protocols.
9:56 a.m.
The Master of the Ceremony introduced Alhaji Nasiru, representative of the Minister of Women Affairs, followed by Salma Ibrahim, special adviser to the President on Health and Board Member of the dRPC.
9:59 a.m.
Mr Kawu highlighted the main objective of the programme: to present the key findings and rally policymakers, political parties, civil society groups, and the media to act on the recommendations.
10:00 a.m.
The MC invites Mrs Ibrahim for the welcome and opening address.
10:02 a.m.
Mrs Ibrahim welcomed participants on behalf of the dRPC. She described the programme’s theme as timely and crucial, noting that it comes at a pivotal moment with Nigeria heading into elections in less than two years.
She emphasised that the issues extend beyond social media, affecting Nigeria’s democracy, particularly in terms of women’s political participation.
10:08 a.m.
She highlighted that the report exposes cyberbullying, doxxing, and other online tactics aimed at intimidating women.
Mrs Ibrahim shared her personal experience of abuse during her 2019 senatorial campaign in Borno State, recalling that a politician once warned her she would be discouraged from contesting again.
She further noted that digital hostility operates alongside entrenched cultural norms that question women’s suitability for political power.
10:17 a.m:
Ms Ibrahim encouraged participants to pay attention to the recommendations highlighted in the report, noting that solving the issues is not about the findings but about the implementation of the recommendations in the report.
She explained that the Cybercrimes Act 2025, as amended, and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act are designed to tackle offences to ensure that the digital space is no longer a lawless frontier.
She, however, noted that the report calls for the review of existing policies.
Ms Ibrahim noted that the government is highly committed to create safe spaces for women.
10:18 a.m:
She congratulated dRPC and ALIGN for the explanatory report, while calling on stakeholders to continue working with the government to ensure a society where women are not treated as second-class citizens.
Jan Michako of ODI Global was invited to give his address.
10:22 am: In his welcome address, Mr Michako congratulated the dRPC on the hard work put into coming up with the report.
He said the research shows that physical, psychological, sexual and other forms of violence are used to enforce norms against women in politics because they challenge power and the status quo.
He said the attacks are further shaped by other characteristics, such as age and religion.
10:29 am: Mr Michako said there’s an undeniable link between online violence and offline impact.
According to him, the time to act is now, through regulations and other means, to address the negative trends that threaten women’s participation in politics.
He noted that the unique part of the dRPC-led study is the inclusion of political parties.
10:31 a.m.
Mr Kawu invited the first panel for a Report Review. The panel will discuss “Digital Threats to Women in Politics in Nigeria: Experiences of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TF-GBV) and Political Parties’ Responses.”
The panel is being moderated by dRPC Project Director, Stanley Ukpai.
Panellists are Olayinka David-West, a professor at Lagos Business School; Adebowale Olorunmola of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy; Maryam Lawan Gwadabe of the Blue Sapphire Hub Foundation; and Chioma Scholastica Ugwu from the Department of Political and Administrative Studies, University of Port Harcourt.
Stanley Ukpai, the dRPC project director, is moderating the panel.
Panellists include Olayinka David-West, a professor at the Lagos Business School; Adebowale Olorunmola of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy; Maryam Lawan Gwadabe of the Blue Sapphire Hub Foundation; and Chioma Scholastica Ugwu from the Department of Political and Administrative Studies at the University of Port Harcourt.
10:34 am: Ms Gwadabe began by saying she reviewed the report and wondered why all the political parties do not have a template of how to address technology-facilitated GBV, leaving the survivors or victims the only ones to bear the consequences of the violence.
She said the negligence cut across all policies and regulations.
She said the Cybercrime Act also did not specifically mention technology-assisted GBV, hence the need for
10:37 am: In his intervention, Mr Olorunmola said what stood out to him was that the report moved technology-facilitated GBV from an abstract term to an evidence-based phenomenon that can be used subsequently to track the spread of awareness and advocate against perpetrators, as well as how it can be addressed.
He said it is instructive that the report mentioned that it also happened within political parties, not just from opponents from other political parties.
He suggested that the efforts to address it should start from within political parties.
10:39 am: Ms Ugwu commended the dRPC for the research.
She also emphasised that none of the political parties have technology-assisted GBV in their constitutions.
10:46 a.m.
Mr Ukpai asked Ms Ugwu about the level of violence women experienced during the 2023 elections. He also asked whether the findings surprised her and what political parties could do to address the problem.
10:48 a.m.
Ms Ugwu said the bullying and attacks targeted at women are rooted in deeply entrenched patriarchal norms. She noted that the implementation of the few existing protective laws remains slow and weak, and that security agencies have not fulfilled their responsibilities effectively.
She cited the case of Jennifer Bina Efidi, who was intimidated and assaulted at a polling unit during the 2023 presidential election, with no security personnel present to protect her.
She also highlighted the economic disadvantages faced by many women, particularly the lack of resources needed to run effective campaigns.
Ms Ugwu recommended stronger collaboration among political parties, academic institutions, civil society organisations, and the electoral commission to integrate technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF-GBV) into their constitutions and regulations. She said such measures should include clear sanctions against perpetrators.
10:53 a.m.
Mr Olorunmola said TF-GBV will continue to escalate if decisive action is not taken.
He noted that while people increasingly live and interact online, the digital space remains poorly regulated to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
10:55 a.m.
Mr Olorunmola warned that technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF-GBV) will continue to escalate unless deliberate action is taken now.
He noted that while society increasingly operates both online and offline, regulatory and protective measures in the offline space remain weak, leaving TF-GBV issues unaddressed.
Mr Olorunmola stressed the need to frame TF-GBV not as “women complaining” but as a systemic problem that undermines the credibility and competitiveness of political parties and political actors.
Although women are disproportionately affected, he said the issue must not be presented as yet another “women’s law” but as a matter of political integrity and democratic fairness.
He also urged that advocacy efforts target young people, youth wings of political parties, and the digital communication teams of politicians and campaign organisations.
11:03 a.m.
Ms Gwadabe said storytelling is one of the most effective approaches to advocacy.
She noted that her organisation has produced a short online video series to reach audiences who do not engage with long written content
11:08 a.m.
Ms Gwadabe called for stronger digital literacy initiatives among young people, particularly around advocacy on technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF-GBV). She also recommended that the dRPC begin engaging political parties to include clear clauses on TF-GBV in their constitutions.
11:13 a.m.
Mr Olorunmola suggested working with the relevant departments at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to integrate TF-GBV provisions into the Commission’s guidelines for political parties.
If INEC adopts such guidelines, he said, political parties would be compelled to implement them.
11:14 a.m.
Ms Ugwu called for stronger collaboration between the dRPC, INEC, and political parties to institutionalise TF-GBV as a policy issue. She added that political parties should establish dedicated women’s structures to monitor TF-GBV, just as they already have women’s wings responsible for mobilisation.
11:17 a.m.
The panel session concluded.
The moderator thanked the panellists for their insights and the audience for their engagement.
11:18 a.m. Mr Kawu introduced the fireside chat titled “Political Parties and Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence: From Silence to Action.”
The session is moderated by Professor Musa Umar, acting director of research at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).
Panellists include: Dipo Olayinka, secretary, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC): Zainab Ibrahim, director-general of women affairs at IPAC, represented by Chinyere Kalu, national women leader of the Zenith Party; and Fatima Inuwa, representing Ojogun Osir, director-general, National Population Commission (NPC).
11:25 a.m.
Mr Olayinka commended the dRPC for its work. He noted that most political parties were formed nearly two decades ago, at a time when TF-GBV was not widely recognised, and therefore their constitutions do not reflect the realities of today’s digital political environment.
11:32 a.m.
Ms Olayinka commended the dRPC for its efforts in producing the research.
She noted that most political parties were established about two decades ago, at a time when TF-GBV was not a prominent issue, and this gap is reflected in their constitutions.
For general acceptability, she advised framing the advocacy beyond gender alone.
She stressed that political parties being the primary vehicles through which individuals access political office must ensure the protection of women who wish to participate in politics.
Doing so, she said, is in the best interest of the country and its citizens.
She also noted that the IPC now has increased representation within the IPAC executive council.
11:35 a.m.
Mr Simon stated that CSOs have already demonstrated their relevance by successfully pushing for reforms offline.
He said the next step is to extend this accountability work online, as TF-GBV has become a pervasive threat to democratic values.
He proposed the creation of a situation room to track TF-GBV cases and publicly name and shame perpetrators.
11:36 a.m.
Ms Kalu recalled that two years ago, the IPC developed a strategic plan establishing three directorates, including the Directorate for Women, Gender, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
She said the IPAC Women’s Directorate has developed a sustainability roadmap spanning the national, zonal, state, and ward levels. Membership of IPAC, she noted, is open, and women are encouraged to join any political party of their choice.
11:40 a.m.
She added that the directorate mentors women in politics as a formal career path, and for the first time, women have mobilised other women at scale.
Ms Kalu also highlighted the “Catching Them Young” project, introduced in one university in each geo-political zone by her political party.
The directorate aims to sponsor at least one female student per university to contest student union elections, she said.
11:45 a.m.
Ms Inuwa said the NDHS indicator of the TF-GBV indicates that the girls molested online are young girls.
She said most of them cannot talk because of the fear of their parents and fear of stigmatisation.
She said women face three times more problems than men online.
11:50 a.m.
Mr Olayinka of IPAC said political parties struggle to sanction their members for wrongdoings as a result of court interference.
He explained that INEC has a strict timeline for political parties to conduct their activities before elections, and when the party tries to sanction an official, they usually resort to the courts, where litigation could drag on for a long time beyond the INEC timeline.
11:52 a.m.
He called on the judiciary to remove itself from party administration and allow political parties to deal with its members appropriately.
12:01 p.m.
Ms Inuwa said the NDHS survey will continue to include GBV, including TFGBV in the report.
12:02 p.m. The panel comes to an end.
12:03 p.m. Mr Kawu introduced Agnes Abraham, the Director Planning and Research Federal Ministry of Women Affairs
12:05 p.m.
The MC also introduced the next panel session. The panellists are: Theophilus Abah, the Director, DailyTrust Foundation; Director Senator Oluremi Tinubu Gender for Excellence, Professor Irene Agunloye. The panel is to be moderated by Plangsat Dayil, a consultant with dRPC and a lecturer at the University.
The session is titled Gender Norms, Media Narrative and Women in APpointive Positions in Nigeria Research Report – One Year on: Have We Made Progress?
12:13 p.m.
Professor Agunloye highlighted how deeply embedded patriarchal assumptions shape public expectations. She said the media often reinforces these biases by over-scrutinising women’s personal lives rather than their professional achievements.
She added that media framing continues to cast politics as a male space. She called for sustained sensitisation of women journalists and activists, noting that unsensitised women also perpetuate stereotypes. She further urged senior women professionals to mentor younger women.
12:22 p.m.
Mr Abah recommended producing a guidebook and training journalists on gender-sensitive reporting.
12:26 p.m.
Professor Agunloye also urged women to invest in media relations.
12:27 p.m.
The panel session ended.
12:29 p.m.
The MC introduced the final item on the agenda, which is the launch and unveiling of the report.
He invited Aisha Bello, Hashim, and Razak Kareem to the podium.
He added that the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, would deliver her remarks before the launch.
12:32 p.m.
The minister was represented by her Special Adviser on Politics, Nasiru Zakari.
Mr Zakari said Ms Sulaiman-Ibrahim is currently considering legal action in response to violations against her on social media.
12:30 p.m.
Ms Sulaiman-Ibrahim commended the dRPC for producing the report. She said ending digital violence against women is a national priority to keep women safe.
12:32 p.m.
She said digital violence is harmful and remains a lived reality for many Nigerian women, especially those in political leadership. She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending the problem and protecting girls across the country.
12:33 p.m.
She said strengthening the judiciary is one of the government’s core plans, noting that 35 states have domesticated the VAPP Act. She also announced plans to establish an Emergency GBV Response Fund to guarantee women’s safety when it is needed most.
12:36 p.m.
Ms Suleiman-Ibrahim said the government is also investing in digital literacy and online safety for Nigerian women.
12:37 p.m.
She said the Ministry of Women Affairs will ensure that Artificial Intelligence becomes a tool for opportunity, not harm, for women.
12:38 p.m.
She said the ministry will continue advocacy until the report informs policy. She launched the report and expressed hope that it marks the beginning of reforms that will allow women to participate fully and without fear in politics.
12:39 p.m.
The MC invited members of the high table and the panellists for the formal launch of the report.
12:41 p.m.
The minister’s representative, Mr Zakari, launched the report.
12:41 p.m.
Photo session.
12:45 p.m.
The END
