A new report released by the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) has exposed gaps in Nigeria’s response to survivors of Conflict-related Sexual Violence (CRSV), revealing that many women and girls violated during the Boko Haram insurgency, remained without adequate support, years after the abuses occurred.

The report, titled “Status of and Opportunities for Reparations for Survivors of Conflict-related Sexual Violence,” is one of the most detailed assessments to date on reparations for CRSV survivors in Nigeria. It highlighted severe shortcomings in government and humanitarian response systems and proposed a clear roadmap for survivor-centred, long-term reparations.

Conducted in partnership with Explore Aid, the Grassroots Researchers Association (GRA), and the Global Survivors Fund (GSF), the study draws on extensive interviews with 82 survivors from Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states, gathered in Maiduguri between October 10 and 14, 2023. Mental health professionals supported the process to ensure the safety and emotional well-being of participants.

According to the report, survivors continued to suffer long-term physical, emotional and economic consequences. Many live with untreated health complications, chronic trauma, social exclusion, and deep economic vulnerability, conditions that have not been adequately addressed by existing state or non-state support structures.

Survivors who participated in the research outlined clear priorities for any future reparation programme, including reliable access to food, safe housing and healthcare, education for themselves and their children, psychosocial, physical and spiritual healing, social reintegration support, economic empowerment and financial assistance, formal acknowledgment of their suffering, access to justice and a national apology.

The report called on federal and state governments, development partners and humanitarian agencies to adopt survivor-centred policies, scale up funding for medical and psychosocial services, expand inclusive education opportunities, and invest in reintegration programmes for survivors and their children.

Speaking at the launch, the Senior Adviser to the President on Health, who also serves as a dRPC board member, said the report provides policymakers with a detailed and realistic understanding of survivors’ expectations.

She described it as “a practical, context-specific guide that policymakers at national and state levels can use to design and deliver meaningful, survivor-centred reparations in Nigeria,” adding that the event aims to “drive policy action, mobilise support, and promote reforms that advance justice for CRSV survivors.”

In her remarks, the National Coordinator of the Women and Children Conflict Survivors Foundation said the findings go beyond data, they represent the lived experiences and aspirations of survivors.

“It carries our stories, our hopes and our concerns. Many of us chose to participate because we wanted the truth of what we experienced to be documented,” she said.

“We hope it marks the beginning of concrete action; action that responds to our priorities, supports our healing, and strengthens our sense of dignity and agency.”

Also speaking, the Regional Coordinator for Africa at the Global Survivors Fund, Ms. Naitore Nyamu, emphasised that survivors played a central role in shaping the study.

She said, “Survivors have been at the centre of developing this study. It is their words you will read in these pages. They are important and precious testimonies.”

“This is the approach the Global Survivors Fund – decided to take when we were founded by two Nobel Peace Prize winners – Nadia Murad and Dr. Denis Mukwege.

GSF wants survivors to be at the centre of what we do – we want them to express their needs and help us find ways to fulfill them. They are co-creators and agents of their own change,” she said.

Nyamu said the report reinforces the need for Nigeria to adopt a survivor-led model of reparations that acknowledges lived realities and prioritises dignity and justice.

According to dRPC, the findings present a critical opportunity for Nigeria to close long-standing gaps in responding to CRSV and align national interventions with global best practices.

The organisation urged the government to act swiftly, stressing that survivors, many still battling trauma, stigma and poverty, cannot afford further delay. (LEADERSHIP)