Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI) has announced that several communities in Kwara State have successfully established community-driven gender-based violence (GBV) reporting structures, following a two-year prevention programme.
According to the organisation, communities now operate GBV reporting desks, social charters, and binding marriage agreements, marking a significant shift in local accountability systems. In one community, 12 GBV cases were formally reported, with 10 resolved using structures that were non-existent just eighteen months ago.
Statewide Event Showcases Programme Impact
The outcomes were unveiled on Thursday at the second GBV Prevention Statewide Event, held at the Kwara State Banquet Hall in Ilorin and convened by BBYDI. The event drew over 200 participants, including 14 traditional rulers from across the state.
BBYDI disclosed that it conducted 16 high-level engagements with first-class traditional leaders and facilitated workshops across the state’s three senatorial districts during the programme period.
Traditional Institutions Drive Local Solutions
The initiative has led to community-specific interventions. In Alalubosa, the community Mogaji now chairs a GBV reporting desk, while a binding marriage agreement outlines sanctions for spousal violence.
Similarly, in Agbarere and Ganmo, social charters endorsed by religious, youth, and women leaders now define procedures for addressing GBV cases within the communities.
Toolkit Launched to Expand Advocacy
At the event, BBYDI launched a Yoruba-language edition of its GBV Prevention Advocacy Toolkit, expanding accessibility for grassroots stakeholders. The earlier English version, published in 2025, featured a foreword by the Emir of Ilorin, with traditional leaders later requesting a localized version.
Government, Traditional Leaders, and Partners Speak
The Kwara State Governor was represented by Hajiya Mariam Nnafatima Imam, PhD, Commissioner for Social Development, while Dr. Usman Atolagbe Abubakar Jos, the Balogun Alanamu of the Ilorin Emirate, represented the Emir.
Similarly, the Olomu of Omu-Aran, His Royal Highness Oba Abdulraheem Adeoti, urged deeper collaboration among traditional rulers, government, and civil society, stressing that community-driven resolutions require consistent enforcement to deliver sustainable, long-term impact.
Izeduwa Derex-Briggs, Programme Officer for Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice at the Ford Foundation West Africa Office, emphasised the Foundation’s proactive approach to GBV prevention.
“At Ford Foundation, we do not wait for violence to happen. We are invested in ensuring that GBV does not happen,” she said.
In her keynote address, Prof. Saudat Salah Abdulbaqi, Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Ilorin, urged traditional leaders to take a firm stance against GBV.
“What leaders tolerate becomes culture. What leaders condemn begins to change,” she stated, noting that many survivors first seek help within their communities before approaching formal institutions.
Technology and Multi-Stakeholder Efforts Strengthen Response
BBYDI also spotlighted its AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot, KEMI, designed to support women and girls facing technology-facilitated GBV across West Africa.
Additionally, the organisation announced the inauguration of a 21-member multi-stakeholder GBV committee in Kwara State, aimed at strengthening coordination and sustaining progress in GBV prevention efforts.
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