NIGERIA
CONTEXT
Nigeria, a federal state located in the Gulf of Guinea, is the most populous country in Africa and the continent's leading economic power. Yet, this African giant has been plagued by instability since the early 2000s with the arrival of armed groups on its territory.
The state of Borno, located in the northeast of the country, has been particularly affected. This region, the most remote from Abuja, the center of power, has suffered from the insurgency of the armed group Boko Haram and its splinter factions since 2009. Today, multiple armed groups operate in the region, and Borno State is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis.
The conflict has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths [1] and over 2.5 million displaced people in the region. Civilians have been particularly impacted by the fighting between the regular army and armed groups. As is too often the case, women and children are the primary victims of these clashes.
All parties involved in the conflict have committed crimes against civilians, making sexual violence a true weapon of terror, punishment, and control. These crimes are widespread and systematic, occurring in Boko Haram camps, refugee camps, prisons, and villages. Sexual violence serves various purposes for armed groups, such as terrorising and punishing populations and establishing control and domination over a territory. [2]. Meanwhile, certain Nigerian military forces exploit the vulnerability of these women and girls to coerce them into sexual violence through blackmail [3].
While women and girls are the primary victims of these crimes, men are also affected. However, the stigma surrounding sexual violence against men is even greater, often silencing them. To date, it remains nearly impossible to accurately assess the number of male victims in the region.
This conflict remains largely absent from the international media scene, except for a few high-profile events, such as the abduction of the Chibok girls in April 2014. Yet, victims continue to suffer in deafening silence. Survivors of sexual violence receive very little support due to multiple barriers: deeply rooted stigma in Bornoan society, distrust of the judicial and security systems of government forces, and a lack of specialized structures.
Despite the efforts of some organizations to document crimes and identify victims in Borno State, these initiatives remain scattered and poorly coordinated. As a result, the monitoring and support of survivors are not guaranteed, leading to unmet expectations and a sense of abandonment among many victims. Moreover, impunity remains the norm, as the perpetrators of these atrocities are rarely brought to justice.
OUR ACTIONS
“Nigeria: innovative technologies to prevent and combat sexual violence”
In June 2023, WWoW was selected, in consortium with Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (BSF), as a laureate of the Humanitarian Innovation call for projects launched by the Centre de crise et de soutien (CDCS) of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE). Launched on 1 November 2023 for a duration of two years, the project aims to develop and deploy contextualised technologies and content, accessible both online and offline, in order to prevent and combat conflict-related sexual violence in north-east Nigeria, through close collaboration with local communities and civil society.
This project represents a key milestone in scaling up the BackUp tool, developed by WWoW. Following several proof-of-concept phases conducted between 2018 and 2021 (Libya, Rwanda, Burundi and Guinea), it constitutes the first medium-term pilot deployment of BackUp in its finalised version. Implemented in line with WWoW’s methodology, which ensures a rigorous assessment of the tool’s impact in the field, the project relies on a close partnership with IntechLux (responsible for the development and maintenance of the tool) and with the Grassroots Researchers Association (GRA), a local Nigerian NGO acting as an operational partner, particularly in charge of awareness-raising activities, data collection and engagement with local communities.
At the heart of the project, WWoW works directly with survivors from Chibok, as well as with networks of survivors, community and religious leaders, and local organisations. The objective is to give survivors a voice, to better document conflict-related sexual violence, to facilitate access to care and support services, and to produce reliable data to inform advocacy efforts, strengthen local capacities and, ultimately, contribute to the fight against impunity
PROJECT IMPACTS TO DATE
BACKUP
Building on the offline internet solutions developed by Bibliothèques Sans Frontières, WWoW designed an offline version of the BackUp tool, now accessible in areas of north-east Nigeria with limited or no connectivity.
The prevention component of BackUp was strengthened through the integration of an informative feature, enabling users to access contextualised content on conflict-related sexual violence.
The deployment of BackUp across more than 15 communities in the region has enabled the collection and secure storage of more than 500 testimonies from survivors, as well as their referral to appropriate support services.
SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS AND CAPACITY BUILDING
The establishment of community discussion groups enabled 60 survivors to benefit from ongoing psychological support.
In collaboration with religious and community leaders, civil society organisations, and women leaders from survivor networks, awareness-raising activities were conducted to reduce stigma and to improve understanding of the consequences of conflict-related sexual violence.
More than 150 professionals working with survivors of sexual violence were trained in the use of BackUp, as well as on issues related to gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence.
ADVOCACY, JUSTICE AND SUSTAINABILITY
The deployment of BackUp enables WWoW to establish a sustainable presence in north-east Nigeria and, in the medium to long term, to consider an expansion of the project to western Nigeria, as well as to neighbouring countries, more broadly across the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea regions.
Through the collection of reliable and timely data, the project supports advocacy efforts at both national and international levels, with the aim of influencing public policies and strengthening strategies for the prevention of, response to and care for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.
Finally, the project contributes to the development of a model for investigating sexual crimes, enabling the rapid documentation of violations, the securing of evidence, and the support of judicial proceedings at both national and international levels.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
As part of the project “Nigeria: Innovative technologies to prevent and combat conflict-related sexual violence”, WWoW, with the support of GRA, conducted a series of three contextual analysis reports focusing on the situation in north-east Nigeria.
These reports provide an in-depth analysis of conflict-related sexual violence in the region. They aim to strengthen the impact of the project by drawing on robust data to adapt interventions to on-the-ground realities, improve support for survivors, and guide advocacy efforts.
REPORT 2: Conflict-related sexual violence in north-eastern Nigeria: analysis of the modus operandi and consequences of this violence
REPORT 3: Overview of the response to conflict-related sexual violence in Borno State
"Implementation of a referral system for the care and empowerment of survivors of sexual violence in conflicts in north-eastern Nigeria"
To ensure the continuity and sustainability of the actions implemented during the first phase of the project, WWoW and the Grassroots Researchers Association (GRA) mobilised new funding. This second phase, partially supported by the Fondation Raja Danièle Marcovici and Stand Speak Rise Up!, aims to strengthen support for survivors and to assist communities affected by conflict-related sexual violence.
This new phase addresses the main challenges identified in the care and support of survivors:
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a lack of coordination among existing services;
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an insufficient number of trained and specialised professionals;
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an unstable security context;
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difficulties in identifying survivors and referring them to appropriate services.
Launched in November 2025 for an initial duration of one year, renewable, the project continues the deployment of BackUp and is structured around several key objectives:
Objectives of the second phase:
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Identify and refer: continue the deployment of BackUp to identify new cases of sexual violence and establish an effective referral system to appropriate medical, psychosocial and legal services.
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Strengthen professional capacities: train professionals to harmonise practices in line with international standards and ensure survivor-centred care.
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Sustainable support: ensure regular follow-up and strengthened psychological support for survivors.
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Create safe spaces: develop and strengthen safe spaces for listening and dialogue, particularly in Maiduguri, enabling survivors to express their needs safely and access reliable information.
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Community awareness: continue community-based actions with local actors to improve case identification, reduce stigma and facilitate access to services.
REFERENCES
[1] NIGERIA WATCH, nigeriawatch.org, 2024
[2] INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP, “Nigeria: Women and the Boko Haram Insurgency”, 5 décembre 2016
[3] AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, 'THEY BETRAYED US' WOMEN WHO SURVIVED BOKO HARAM RAPED, STARVED AND DETAINED IN NIGERIA’, 2018