Abuja: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP) have trained Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Northern Nigeria on safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse, and sexual harassment (SEAH).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the initiative was part of a three-day training programme for selected CSOs across Northern Nigeria, organised by WRAHP, the local affiliate partner of the Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub (RSH), with support from the FCDO in Abuja. Mrs Bose Ironsi, Executive Director of WRAHP, explained that the training aimed to enhance safeguarding systems, policies, knowledge, and practices among CSOs operating in humanitarian and development settings across the northern region.
She emphasized that safeguarding is often misunderstood and confused with Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), noting that it typically begins with minor incidents, such as harassment, before escalating into abuse. Ironsi highlighted Nigeria’s patriarchal structure and existing power imbalances, making safeguarding a critical concern, and stressed the importance of trust between communities and service providers for effective intervention.
Ironsi stated that the training would enable CSOs to critically assess their organisations, identify gaps, and develop stronger safeguarding policies that would be impactful within workplaces and communities. She noted that when communities feel safe with the organisations serving them, trust is built, and meaningful progress becomes possible. Participants were also set to review local, national, and international safeguarding frameworks to strengthen policy development and improve organisational practice.
Ironsi added that the strong response from organisations across Northern Nigeria reflected a growing recognition that safeguarding was not only a compliance requirement but also a key element of organisational accountability and culture. She said the training would help CSOs transition from policy to practice and build safer environments for the communities they serve.
Ms Dooshima Orjime, FCDO Nigeria Social Development Adviser, reaffirmed the commitment to strengthening safeguarding systems through locally led partnerships aimed at improving community protection. She noted that meaningful change begins at the grassroots, with CSOs often serving as first responders due to their direct engagement with communities and vulnerable populations.
WRAHP Safeguarding Technical Adviser, Mrs Janet Abazie, stressed the importance of moving beyond policy development to effectively implementing safeguarding systems. She advocated for safe, accessible, and inclusive reporting mechanisms that address cultural and language barriers to encourage community participation.
A participant, Dr Emmanuel Ande, Executive Director of The Ivorgba Centre, stated that the training had equipped organisations with tools to build safer structures and improve accountability. He highlighted that safeguarding encompasses preventing sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, bullying, intimidation, and misconduct within organisations and communities.
Dr Precious Williams of WOTCLEF mentioned that the training reinforced the importance of proactive safeguarding systems to prevent abuse and organisational risks. Mr Abdulwahab Yusuf, CEO of Yufique Global, emphasized that safeguarding policies must be context-specific and reflect cultural and religious realities to be effective, treating safeguarding as a living document that must be continuously adapted to local realities rather than copied templates.
The three-day training is part of the RSH Nigeria Safeguarding Capacity Strengthening Programme supported by FCDO to improve protection systems and prevent SEAH across civil society organisations in Nigeria. The programme brought together representatives from 12 selected CSOs to deepen their understanding of safeguarding, Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH), survivor-centred approaches, organisational accountability, and safer programming practices.