By Victoria Onehi
A new report launched yesterday by the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) amplifies the voices of survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV), revealing urgent humanitarian, economic, and justice needs that remain largely unmet years after Boko Haram–related abuses.
The report—Status of and Opportunities for Reparations for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence—is one of the most comprehensive assessments to date on reparations for CRSV survivors in Nigeria. It identifies major gaps in state and non-state support systems and outlines a roadmap for survivor-centred reparations.
Conducted by dRPC in partnership with Explore Aid, the Grassroots Researchers Association (GRA), and Global Survivors Fund (GSF), the research draws on in-depth interviews with 82 survivors from Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states.
The interviews were held in Maiduguri between 10 and 14 October 2023 with support from mental-health specialists to ensure safe and ethical engagement.
The findings show that survivors continue to endure long-term physical, psychological, social, and economic consequences. Many face entrenched stigma, disrupted livelihoods, and persistent health challenges that remain unaddressed.
One of them (name withheld) said, ” I was married off by force; while about four to five men raped me daily. This really disturbed my mind, to the extent that I wanted to commit suicide.”
Another woman (name withheld) said, “When I returned home, my husband rejected me, because I had stayed with Boko Haram people, and till date we are not together.”
Survivors identified clear priorities that must guide any future reparations programme:
• Reliable access to food, safe shelter, and healthcare
• Educational opportunities for themselves and their children
• Physical, psychological, and spiritual healing services
• Social reintegration support
• Sustainable economic empowerment and financial assistance
• Formal recognition of their suffering, justice, and an apology.
In her welcome remarks, the Senior Adviser to the President on Health and a board member of the dRPC Dr Salma Anas Ibrahim, stated that the report provides an in-depth analysis of survivors’ perceptions and expectations of reparations. She noted that it offers practical, context-specific recommendations to guide policymakers at national and state levels in designing and delivering survivor-centred reparation programmes in Nigeria.
She further emphasised that the event aims to drive policy action, mobilise support for survivor-centred interventions, and promote reforms that advance justice for CRSV survivors.
In her remarks, the National coordinator of the Women and Children Conflict Survivors Foundation(WCCSF) Fadimatu Buba Saleh, stated that the study “reflects more than data. 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. We wanted our needs to be understood. And we wanted to help build a future where survivors are not met with silence or stigma, but with support, dignity and justice.”
She added: “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.”
Making his submission, Director-General, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Prof. Ayo Omotayo assured of the institute’s readiness to collaborate in translating the recommendations of the report into actionable policy options, and in engaging the relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to support implementation.
The NIPSS DG who was represented highlighted the atrocities of the terrorists in the North-east, most horrific of which, according to him, are acts of conflict-related sexual violence, which have devastated individuals, families, and entire communities, stressing that, as the apex policy think-tank of the nation, NIPSS places premium on any research that informs strategic decision-making.
“The findings presented in this report will enrich our ongoing work on national security, human development, and post-conflict recovery. More importantly, they offer clear pathways for strengthening Nigeria’s reparation framework—ensuring that it delivers justice, healing, and meaningful support to survivors,” he concluded.
