FACE Initiative - Nigeria

29/03/2026

Gender and Development Action (GADA), celebrated 30 years of programming - community and stakeholders mobilization, advocacy and capacity building to bridge the gender GAP in a closeout workshop of the Reducing Gender-Based Violence (R-GBV) project, supported by Ford Foundation implemented in 2023–2025 held on Thursday 27th March, 2026 at Chelsea Hotel, Abuja.

The project was attended by FACE Initiative and selected members of the South-South SGBV Info Hub, Ministries of Women Affairs and Social Development of Rivers and Cross Rivers States, Community Crisis Management Committee (CCMT) and Partners such as Ford Foundation, CDD, Action Aid and British High Commission.

The goal of the project was to promote gender equality and reduce GBV through prevention, accountability, and community ownership.

The workshop was insightful with as participants shared learning for possible adaptation in their Programme areas. Key takeaway was Intersectionality of Gender-Based Violence and the need GBV programming to treat GBV cases with individual distinct context for maximum impact.






Port-Harcourt
Onose

21/03/2026

PRESS RELEASESouth South SGBV Info Hub (SGBV Info Hub)For Immediate ReleaseDate: March 20, 2026 VIOLENCE

OZORO IS NOT CULTURE: IT IS VIOLENCE —
The South South SGBV Info Hub DEMANDS JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

The South-South SGBV Prevention Info Hub (SGBVInfoHub) is a collaborative civil society initiative dedicated to combating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) across Nigeria's South-South region (including states such as Cross River, Rivers, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Delta, and Bayelsa). Facilitated by Gender and Development Action (GADA).

A recent traditional festival in Ozoro, Delta State—a now widely described as a “rape festival.” SGBV Info Hub is not in doubt as to what the issue is, as this is not culture but a well-coordinated, normalised series of violation of the rights of women and girls.

From videos and testimonies on social media, there are indications that women were chased, groped, and assaulted in public, with perpetrators acting in groups and in plain sight, celebrated their action. That such acts could occur openly—and be explained or treated as “tradition”—reveals the depth of harmful gender norms that continue to endanger women’s lives in the South South Region of Nigeria.

THE TRUTH WE MUST CONFRONT
What happened in Ozoro where women are not to come out during a festival, is an age-old social practice that did not begin at the 2026 festival but it is doubtful that it approves of what happened in Ozoro, where men gave expression to systemic oppression of women and girls because the context permitted it by -
- Teaching men that they are entitled to women’s bodies
- Socialising the communities to excuse violence as “rites”
- Shaming the survivors of gender-based violence into silence and
- Protecting perpetrators through collective complicity
When violence becomes a ritual, impunity becomes the culture.

The SGBV Info Hub BELIEVES, WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE
Condemnations are not enough. Outrage is not enough. Justice is the minimum.
we demands:
- Immediate arrest and prosecution of all perpetrators and enablers
- Protection, care, and dignity for survivors, including access to medical and legal support
- Public accountability from community and traditional leaders
- A full investigation into the normalization of such practices

WHY WE CANNOT IGNORE THIS, BECAUSE IT HAS BECOME A NATIONAL TEST OF OUR VALUES

Ozoro is a test—of leadership, of law enforcement, and of our collective conscience, and Nigeria cannot continue to claim progress while women’s bodies remain battlegrounds for “tradition.” Any culture that permits the violation of women is not heritage—it is harm.

CALL TO ACTION
- The SGBV Info Hub calls on government, law enforcement, civil society, and communities to act decisively:
- Dismantle harmful norms. Protect women. Prosecute offenders. End the silence.
- This moment demands more than statements—it demands change. Women and girls in Nigeria deserve to exist in public spaces without fear of violence masquerading as culture.

Justice for the women of Ozoro is non-negotiable.
Signed:South South SGBV Info Hub (SGBV Info Hub)

01/03/2026

Journalist and CSOs Training on Countering Misinformation, Disinformation, Fake News, and Hate speech

28/02/2026

FACE Initiative joined journalists and other civil society organizations (CSOs) in a three-day Capacity Building Workshop on Countering Disinformation, Fake News, and Hate Speech, held from 23rd to 25th February 2026 at Rosmorh Hotel, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The training was organized by Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP), F.S.P., a Spanish public foundation, as part of the EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project, in collaboration with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit). Approximately 35 media professionals and civil society representatives from Nigeria’s South-South region participated in the workshop.

The highly engaging and interactive sessions equipped participants with practical skills to identify, analyze, and counter disinformation, fake news, and hate speech, particularly in relation to electoral processes. The training also strengthened ethical, conflict-sensitive, and peace-oriented reporting practices among media professionals and CSOs.

Through group activities and practical exercises, participants enhanced their capacity to use digital tools responsibly to prevent the spread of harmful content. The highlight of the event was the launch of the campaign in the South-South region.

Participants developed action plans to support initiatives aimed at countering disinformation in the lead-up to the 2027 general elections, promoting credible information, reducing the risk of electoral violence, and strengthening democratic governance in West Africa.

01/01/2026

02/12/2025

Student of Community Secondary School Minibie and ACWA Secondary School Bekekiri in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State awareness were raised on SGBV and strategies to prevent Cyber Harrasment.

The sensitization was done by FACE Initiative with collaboration from Bayelsa State Gender Response Initiative Team and South-South SGBV Prevention Info Hub.

30/11/2025

As part of this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender- Based Violence, FACE Initiative in collaboration with Bayelsa State Gender Response Initiative and South-South SGBV Info Hub sensitized student of Government Secondary School Akassa, Kongho, Brass LGA of Bayelsa State on SGBV and emphasized on Ending Digital Violence against Women and Girls… the theme of this year. The team talked on the VAPP law, step to prevent violence and how to seek support when their rights are violated.

The team also distributed Sanitary Pads that were donated by the First Lady of Bayelsa State, Dr. Mrs. Gloria Diri of the Flow-with-Confifidemce Initiative of the wife of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.





-South SGBV Prevention info

25/11/2025

FACE Initiative joins government CSOs and Communities in solidarity to End Digital Violence Against all Women and Girls

24/08/2025

Inatimi Odio (FACE Initiative) jointed CSOs, Community leaders and representatives of relevant government agencies in a Validation Workshop on Economic Diversification in Bayelsa State, focusing on non-oil revenue streams. The workshop held on 21/8/25, was organized by BudgIT Foundation, with supported from the .

Key areas identified included security, tourism, agriculture, infrastructure development, budget transparency and accountability, environmental remediation, and public-private partnerships etc. With the global shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, the question remains: can Bayelsa State thrive without oil and gas? The workshop featured breakout sessions and, group presentations that culminated in a communique.

It is hoped that the Bayelsa State and Federal governments will implement the recommendations arising from this workshop.

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22/08/2025

FACE Initiative, Office of the First Lady of Bayelsa State and SkillPorte Multinational Ecosystem (the implementing partners of Support for Rural Women in Bayelsa project) was privileged to receive the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Beatrice Eyong to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The UN Women Representative and her team were in Yenagoa for a 3 Day Working Mission to Monitor and Evaluate post project activities and the utilization of the Bayelsa State Food Processing Hub.

The UN Women had Interactive conversations with the Implementation Partner FACE INITIATIVE and the 100 Women and Girls (project) beneficiaries, with a view to address their challenges and explore possibilities of further actions and collaborations with the Media, NAFDAC and the Nigeria Export Promotion Council to enable Bayelsa Women access the formal export market.

The food hub is a state of the art food processing facility established by FACE Initiative with support from the UN Women. The objective of setting up the food hub was to reduce post harvest waste and increase income of Women farmers/fishers and traders through processing and market of their food products.

The Food Hub is situated at Lucky Anyanmaowei Plaza, opposite Kpansia Market, Yenagoa.

The Hub is open to all Women in the Processing and Package value chain for Local and International Markets.

11/04/2025

Bayelsa State Government to inaugurate a multi stakeholders ICT Policy Drafting Committee. This was revealed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communication, Science and Technology, Otrofanowei, during a courtesy visit by the Gender Inclusive ICT Policy Advocacy Group ( Egbegi Odusi to the Ministry.

The gender inclusive ICT Policy will articulate government goals and objectives and serve as a roadmap in harnessing the potentials of ICT and the digital economy in the state to promote socioeconomic development.

At the inauguration of the committee in the coming weeks, all hands will be on deck to develop a comprehensive and gender inclusive ICT policy in Bayelsa State. This will be obviously open a new vista of opportunities for youth, women and girls in the state.
Lucas
. Zige Bolou Felix
edward pulotua