For many years, there has been a steady call for the establishment of specialised courts for SGBV in Nigeria to address delays in the justice process. Most recently, this call was echoed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN. The AGF’s call followed the inauguration in 2020 by the President, of an Inter-Ministerial Management Committee on Eradication of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, a demonstration of the government’s renewed commitment to comprehensively address SGBV and protect victims.

The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme supports the call and effort to establish special courts for SGBV and is collaborating with the FCT Judiciary, the Federal Ministry of Justice and the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on the occasion of the 16 Days of Activism 2021, to sensitize and mobilise relevant actors and stakeholders around the imperative and applicability of special courts for SGBV, in the context of Nigeria’s legislative and social policy environment. The aim is to explore relevant policy options, guidelines and recommendations for establishing or designating special courts for SGBV across Nigeria.