On October 17, 2025, the Grace Agbonlahor Foundation (GAF) joined other stakeholders at the State Level Consultative Forum on Achieving Inclusive Police Reform in Edo State, held at Golden Tulip Essential Hotel, Benin City.
The forum was organised by the Edo State Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Police Reform Secretariat. It brought together civil society groups, traditional leaders, youth representatives, women’s groups, and security agencies to discuss practical ways to make policing in Edo State more inclusive and people-centred.
Fostering Trust and Accountability
Discussions focused on building trust between citizens and the police, promoting human rights, and improving access to justice. The representative of the Inspector General of Police, CP Eloho Okpoziakpo, noted that “the future of policing must reflect inclusivity, human rights, and citizen participation in building safer communities.”
Participants shared ideas and identified strategies for reform, including:
Expanding access to legal aid for vulnerable groups
Strengthening gender inclusion within law enforcement structures
Promoting continuous dialogue between communities and the police
Enhancing accountability mechanisms to rebuild public confidence
GAF’s Role and Commitment
For GAF, the forum reaffirmed our commitment to justice, inclusion, and community empowerment. These values are central to our Advocacy for Equality priority. Our participation reflected our belief that safety and justice are strengthened when citizens play an active role in shaping solutions.
As an organisation dedicated to helping women and girls lift, lead, and thrive, GAF recognises that fair and inclusive policing is essential to protecting their rights and creating safer communities for everyone.
Looking Ahead
The session concluded with a shared understanding that inclusive police reform is a collective responsibility. GAF remains committed to supporting community-based justice initiatives and working with partners such as the ACJMC and UNDP to make sure that police reforms are inclusive, fair, and sustainable.
Together, we can reimagine policing that listens to citizens, protects lives, and upholds dignity for all.
The Unspoken Fears of Girls in Public Spaces and Call to Action.
In a heart-wrenching revelation, the second edition of the Voices at the Table (VATT) Citizenship Assembly shed light on the harsh realities faced by adolescent girls and young women in Nigeria. Held on September 19, 2025, at the Grace Agbonlahor Foundation Office in Benin City, the session brought together 15 participants who shared deeply personal stories of insecurity, violence, and trauma.
The Stories Shared
💬 Story 1: Once, Too Many Times
One participant recounted a harrowing experience of being sexually harassed by a church leader’s son. “I was 15 when I was sent on an errand to a church leader’s house to collect a brochure. When I got there, I was told the elder wasn’t home, but his son would attend to me. That’s when he started touching me. I was stunned. I told him to let me go, but he kept touching me without my consent.” The participant’s voice trembled as she recounted the traumatic experience.
💬 Story 2: I Wish I Stood Against Bullies
Another participant spoke movingly about a classmate with Down syndrome who was constantly bullied and isolated by their peers. “I tried to be her friend, but she kept me at arm’s length. I think I understand why. Maybe if I had stood up for her against the bullies, she wouldn’t have seen me as a threat too.” The participant’s words highlighted the need for empathy and inclusion.
💬 Story 3: From a First-Time Birthday Party to Rape
A participant shared a traumatic experience of being raped by a classmate at a birthday party. “I was 14 when I attended my classmate’s birthday party. My first ever that turned into a nightmare. My drink was spiked, I was drugged, and then sexually violated by the celebrant. I got pregnant from that incident, a pregnancy I wasn’t prepared for.” The participant’s voice cracked as she recounted the devastating experience.
💬 Story 4: Even in School
Another participant shared a disturbing experience of being violated by a school’s security officer. “A girl I know trusted the school’s security officer, until he violated that trust. Even in school, girls are not safe.” The participant’s words highlighted the need for safe and secure environments.
Reflection:
These stories reflect a national crisis that is all too often ignored. According to UNICEF, six in ten Nigerian girls experience gender-based violence before the age of 18. The VATT session highlighted the urgent need for action to protect girls and women from violence and insecurity.
A Call to Action
The participants demanded action, proposing solutions that included improved public infrastructure, school-based counseling services, comprehensive sexuality education, community safety task forces, and the engagement of men and boys as allies in creating safer communities for girls.
“We stand firmly with girls who not only dream of safer communities but demand it through bold, practical solutions. At GAF, we are committed to turning their advocacy into action,” said Felicitas Nwadiolu, GAF Manager.
Join the Movement
ImpactHouse and GAF urge stakeholders to take action and prioritize the safety and well-being of girls and women. Together, we can create a safer and more supportive environment for all. You can participate by using the link below. 👇
VATT is a girl-led civic dialogue initiative that provides safe spaces for adolescent girls and young women to share their stories, shape public solutions, and participate meaningfully in the civic life of their communities. The project is powered by GAF in partnership with ImpactHouse. Each quarter, a selected group of girls gathers at GAF’s civic hub in Benin City, Edo State, for a physical assembly, ensuring both digital and offline participation. These contributions are consolidated into a quarterly Voices at the Table Report, which is presented to policymakers, development partners, media platforms, and advocacy coalitions.
Felicitas Nwadiolu Foundation Manager felicitas.nwadiolu@gaf.org.ng 08162272016
About the Partners
ImpactHouse Centre for Development Communication is a nonprofit working to improve the quality of civic conversations among everyday citizens in Africa to drive responsive and accountable governance. Our work spans critical areas such as civic participation and good governance, gender equity and justice, education and human rights, and media and civil society development. Learn more atwww.impacthouse.org.ng
The Grace Agbonlahor Foundation (GAF) is a girls and women focused organisation working to promote gender equity, education, and participation for girls and women across Nigeria. Learn more atwww.gaf.org.ng
As the world marks the 2025 International Day of Women and Girls of African Descent, ImpactHouse Centre for Development Communication and the Grace Agbonlahor Foundation (GAF) call on Nigerian leaders and institutions to take concrete action to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of every girl in Nigeria.
This call comes on the heels of the pilot edition of the Voices at the Table (VATT) citizens’ assembly, held earlier this month in Benin City, Edo State. During the session, 16 adolescent girls and young women shared deeply personal stories about the insecurity they face in both public and private spaces. They spoke about street harassment, sexual violence, abuse within the home, and the fear they experience simply walking back from school. Alongside these painful testimonies, they offered bold and practical solutions rooted in their lived experiences.
One of the participants, a 14-year-old (whose name is withheld), spoke movingly about a classmate with a speech impairment who was constantly mocked and isolated by her peers. “If she had more friends who could stand up for her, she would feel safe,” she said. Another participant recounted being raped at the age of eight by a trusted neighbour and keeping the trauma buried for years. Others told of narrow escapes from street gangs, abusive family members, and dangerous shortcuts on the way home from church.
“I had just attended a youth-led programme at my church, and afterward, I was walking home with some fellow church members’, a participant recounted. “The journey back was long, so we chose the shortcut, a narrow route that we all knew was a hangout for street cultists. We figured that walking as a group would keep us safe, even though it was an unsettling decision. What made me more uneasy was the fact that we were all women.
“As we approached the most dreaded stretch of that shortcut, the exact spot they usually gather, we saw them. Ten men. Five ahead of us. Five closing in from behind. I cannot describe the chill that swept through me. It was pure fear. We took off. We did not care about the bags we flung behind or the Bibles inside. We just ran, like our lives depended on it. And honestly, I think they did. Since that day, I have never walked that route again. Not once. And I never will.”
These experiences reflect a national crisis that is all too often ignored. According to UNICEF, six in ten Nigerian girls experience gender-based violence before the age of 18.
“What we are witnessing is evidence of systemic failure and a direct betrayal of Nigeria’s commitments under the SDGs, the Child Rights Act, the African Charter, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). You cannot claim progress while girls are unsafe, unheard, and unprotected,” the ImpactHouse Programmes Manager, Chinomso Momoh, bemoaned.
Yet, the VATT session was not a space for despair, as the girls demanded action. Their proposals included improved public infrastructure such as street lighting and CCTV, school-based counselling services, comprehensive sexuality education, community safety task forces, and the engagement of men and boys as allies in creating safer communities for girls.
“We stand firmly with girls who not only dream of safer communities but demand it through bold, practical solutions. At GAF, we are committed to turning their advocacy into action,” said GAF Manager, Felicitas Nwadiolu.
ImpactHouse and GAF urge the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to take the lead in mainstreaming and funding girl-led safety initiatives. To shift harmful gender norms, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) must roll out targeted public awareness campaigns that reach communities at every level. For their part, state governments and local authorities also have a crucial role to play by investing in the infrastructure, such as street lighting and safe community spaces, that supports girls’ safety.
We also call on law enforcement agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to establish and maintain gender desks that are both youth-friendly and responsive to threats.
As we honour women and girls of African descent today, let it be with urgent policy responses, tangible protection, and long-term investments in girl-led leadership.
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Note to Editors:
VATT is a girl-led civic dialogue initiative that provides safe spaces for adolescent girls and young women to share their stories, shape public solutions, and participate meaningfully in the civic life of their communities. The project is powered by GAF in partnership with ImpactHouse. Each quarter, a selected group of girls gathers at GAF’s civic hub in Benin City, Edo State, for a physical assembly, ensuring both digital and offline participation. These contributions are consolidated into a quarterly Voices at the Table Report, which is presented to policymakers, development partners, media platforms, and advocacy coalitions.
Felicitas Nwadiolu Foundation Manager felicitas.nwadiolu@gaf.org.ng 08162272016
About the Partners
ImpactHouse Centre for Development Communication is a nonprofit working to improve the quality of civic conversations among everyday citizens in Africa to drive responsive and accountable governance. Our work spans critical areas such as civic participation and good governance, gender equity and justice, education and human rights, and media and civil society development. Learn more atwww.impacthouse.org.ng
The Grace Agbonlahor Foundation (GAF) is a girls and women focused organisation working to promote gender equity, education, and participation for girls and women across Nigeria. Learn more atwww.gaf.org.ng
In a bold move to strengthen adolescent girls’ civic participation and push back against entrenched gender inequalities, the Grace Agbonlahor Foundation (GAF) and ImpactHouse Centre for Development Communication have announced a strategic partnership to scale the Voices at the Table (VATT) initiative – Nigeria’s first girl-led citizens’ assembly. The initiative aims to provide a national platform for adolescent girls and young women to share lived experiences, reflect on issues affecting their lives, and shape solutions through storytelling, civic dialogue, and participatory reporting.
Nigeria remains one of the most challenging environments in sub-Saharan Africa for girls to grow and thrive. Millions of girls continue to face child marriage, gender-based violence, poor access to quality education, and harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation. These realities silence the voices of girls and often exclude them from conversations and decisions that directly impact their future. “For too long, decisions about girls have been made without hearing directly from them. Voices at the Table is our way of changing that, by creating a safe, structured space where girls don’t just speak, but are genuinely listened to, and where their lived experiences shape real change.” — Charles Omofomwan, Founder, Grace Agbonlahor Foundation
The VATT is an empathy-driven and inclusive model for civic engagement, offering girls a platform to reflect on social issues that affect their lives and propose solutions that can influence policy, advocacy, and community action. The platform allows girls from all backgrounds to submit responses via voice notes, written reflections, short videos, or in-person dialogues hosted in safe spaces like schools, churches, markets, and community centres.
Each quarter, a selected group of girls gathers at GAF’s civic hub in Benin City, Edo State, for a physical assembly, ensuring both digital and offline participation. These contributions are consolidated into a quarterly Voices at the Table Report, which is presented to policymakers, development partners, media platforms, and advocacy coalitions. Topics are introduced through an easy-to-understand “Topic Pack”, developed to build civic literacy and spark dialogue in communities. As part of the partnership, ImpactHouse will lead storytelling design, messaging strategy, and media amplification, ensuring that girls’ voices reach not just decision-makers but also the broader Nigerian public. “At ImpactHouse, we believe that quality civic conversations, especially among everyday citizens, can drive social change. This partnership with GAF strengthens our commitment to enabling inclusive dialogue and gender-responsive governance”, Programmes Manager at ImpactHouse, Chinomso Momoh, said. “For us, VATT is more than a project. It is a movement to democratise civic participation, deepen the quality of civic conversations, and centre the voices of those most excluded”.
To ensure that no girl is left behind, GAF is also distributing printed VATT response forms in underserved communities, ensuring representation from rural and low-connectivity areas. The initiative works through a growing coalition of civil society actors, educators, youth groups, and networks like the End Child Marriage Coalition and the Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO).
About the Partners The Grace Agbonlahor Foundation (GAF) is a girls and women focused organisation working to promote gender equity, education, and participation for girls and women across Nigeria. Learn more at www.gaf.org.ng
ImpactHouse Centre for Development Communication is a think-and-do tank working to improve the quality of civic conversations among everyday citizens in Africa to drive responsive and accountable governance. Their work spans critical areas such as civic participation and good governance, gender equity and justice, education and human rights, and media and civil society development. Learn more at www.impacthouse.org.ng
Media Contacts
Felicitas Nwadiolu (Foundation Manager, GAF) Email: engage@gaf.org.ng Phone: 08162272016 Chinomso Momoh (Programmes Manager, ImpactHouse Centre for Development Communication) Email: chinomso@impacthouse.org.ng Phone: +2348087907931
The Grace Agbonlahor Foundation (GAF) is thrilled to announce the winner of our “Speak Up and Act: A Community Campaign Against Gender-Based Violence” challenge, held as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. After receiving several incredible entries and an intense social media tie-breaker, Khaleela Ndidi emerged as the winner!
Khaleela’s Campaign: A Voice for the Voiceless
Khaleela, a passionate advocate for social change, stood out with her two-day sensitisation outreach in Rivers State. Using creatively designed posters, she engaged her community to raise awareness about Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Her efforts didn’t just inform—they sparked meaningful conversations and inspired action. Through bold messages like “Stop Violence Against Women” and “Treat GBV as a Crime, Not a Culture,” Khaleela’s campaign resonated deeply with the people she reached.
Reflecting on her journey, Khaleela shared: “The experience I had while taking part in this challenge was a balanced mix of bliss and dead ends, in what sense? While a lot of people I approached were welcoming and cooperative, a few were not open to the idea of being recorded, and some had opposite views. But regardless, I was able to face the whole thing with a healthy dose of confidence and excitement.”
Her determination and creativity made a significant impact, and her ability to adapt to challenges showcased the strength of her advocacy.
The Social Media Tie-Breaker
Khaleela was one of four exceptional finalists whose campaigns stood out for their creativity, impact, and engagement. She tied with Akinola Shukurat, Lysa Ojoka, and Oghogho Osariemen, all of whom delivered inspiring campaigns:
Akinola Shukurat empowered children in Isolo, Lagos, by teaching them about GBV and how to seek help.
Lysa Ojoka, in Benin City, used videos and posters to educate her community about GBV and encourage action.
Oghogho Osariemen leveraged social media to raise awareness and drive online dialogue on GBV in Lagos State.
To determine the winner, GAF allowed social media engagement across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter (now X) to decide. It was a tight contest, but Khaleela’s campaign garnered the highest total engagements, crowning her the champion.
A Well-Deserved Prize
As the winner of the “Speak Up and Act” challenge, Khaleela received the N50,000 grand prize, a Certificate of Achievement, and the recognition as a Young Advocate for Change. But for her, the victory meant so much more than the accolades.
“I am totally elated after finding out that I’ve been selected as the winner of the 2024 GBV campaign. Aside from the prize money, women’s rights is something I’m very passionate about, and it gives me great joy that my commitment has been acknowledged by such a reputable platform,” Khaleela said. “This is basically the encouragement I’ve been needing to take my activism to a more public level, and for that, I am grateful.”
Looking to the Future
Khaleela’s win has not only affirmed her advocacy efforts but also inspired her to dream bigger. She plans to use her prize money to invest in equipment to kickstart a podcast or blog focusing on women’s rights.
“Basically, we’re in a digital age, and more impact is created via social media these days. I plan to use my prize money to get equipment to aid the kickstart of my podcast/blog that’ll be dealing with women’s rights,” she explained.
Her participation in the challenge has also strengthened her resolve to continue volunteering and engaging in activities that promote the rights of women and children.
“I know that I’ll become more vocal about my beliefs, and I aim to sensitise more people as time goes by,” Khaleela shared with determination.
Celebrating All Participants
While Khaleela emerged as the winner, GAF applauds the efforts of all participants. Each campaign amplified the message of the 16 Days of Activism and demonstrated the power of grassroots and digital advocacy in addressing GBV.
Join Us in the Fight Against GBV
Khaleela’s story reminds us that change starts with one voice, one action, and one determined individual. GAF remains committed to empowering young advocates and creating platforms for their voices to be heard.
Congratulations to Khaleela Ndidi, our champion for change! And a big thank you to all participants, supporters, and community members who joined us in this campaign. Together, we can make a difference.
Abuja, Nigeria – 29th August 2024 – The Grace Agbonlahor Foundation (GAF) and WellaHealth are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the MarketCare Project, aimed at improving health outcomes, providing affordable health insurance, and promoting healthy living among market women in Edo State.
