NACAT, NAPTIP Lead Hundreds On Awareness Walk As 16 Days Of Activism Begins In Nigeria

By Onoja Baba

The Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT), in partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), led hundreds of activists, civil society members, and citizens on a solidarity walk in Abuja to flag off Nigeria’s participation in the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

The walk, which started from the Old Parade Ground in Garki and ended at Millennium Park, Central Business District, focused on ending digital violence against women and girls.

Speaking at the event, NACAT Programmes Manager, Joy Tomo, delivered a goodwill message on behalf of the organisation’s Chairman, Tega Oghenedoro, reaffirming NACAT’s unwavering commitment to the fight against corruption, human trafficking, and all forms of sexual and gender-based violence.

She commended NAPTIP for its consistent leadership and for organising the impactful campaign, stating:

“NACAT will not relent in the fight against corruption and trafficking. We will continue to partner with NAPTIP and other sister agencies to ensure a safer, better society for all Nigerians, especially women and girls who bear the brunt of violence in both physical and digital spaces.”

Tomo urged Nigerians to break the culture of silence and report cases of abuse, harassment, and trafficking through credible channels.

Earlier, NAPTIP Director-General, Professor Binta Adamu Bello, OON, addressed the crowd, warning that the internet has become “a space of fear” for many women and girls.

“Technology has become a powerful tool for learning, business, leadership, and connection. But for many women and girls, it has also become a space of fear. Digital violence in the form of cyber-stalking, online harassment, non-consensual image sharing, deep-fake abuse, hate speech, and blackmail is silencing voices, damaging mental health, and pushing women out of digital spaces. This is not only a technological challenge – it is a human rights challenge,” she said.

Prof. Bello revealed that women are 27% more likely to face online harassment online than men, and stressed that “when women retreat from the digital world, society loses leadership, innovation, and economic potential.”

She called for stronger enforcement of existing laws, digital safety education in schools, better-trained law enforcement, and safer reporting channels, insisting “We must ensure that the digital space is not a new battlefield, but a place of opportunity.”

Other partners present included UN Women, Christian Women for Excellence Society (CWEENS), Centre for Anti-Prostitution and Empowerment (XCAPE), SAGE Foundation, Auxano Foundation, and the Nigeria Police Anti-Human Trafficking Unit.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence runs from 25 November to 10 December annually.