•An illustration of rape
There is need for faster prosecutions, stronger coordination, and a survivor-centred approach to keeping girls in school.
Stakeholders in justice and education gathered in Kano State for a dialogue on sexual and gender-based violence and its toll on girls’ education, reports The Nation.
The dialogue, convened by The Inclusion Project with support from Malala Fund, brought together government officials, judicial officers, law enforcement agencies, traditional rulers, civil society bodies, and education stakeholders to confront ‘‘a systemic crisis hiding in plain sight.’’
Attorney General Abdulkarim Maude (SAN), reaffirmed Ministry of Justice’s commitment to strengthening prosecution of SGBV cases but noted that persistent obstacles, including difficulties securing witness attendance, cultural and familial pressures, and weak witness protection frameworks, have continued to undermine justice delivery.
The tone was set early by a keynote delivered on behalf of the Commissioner for Education, in which Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Hamza Yushau, described SGBV as a theft of opportunity.
“When systems don’t respond swiftly, we are not merely delaying justice. We are ending a girl’s education,” he said, calling for a shift from siloed responses to integrated, survivor-centred mechanisms, including fast-track courts for cases involving minors.
Representing Chief Judge, Justice Zuwaira Yusuf said reforms, among them, special courts and practice directions for SGBV cases are evidence of the state’s commitment.
“The responsibility is multisectoral,” she said, stressing stronger institutional linkages are essential to protecting girls and advancing their rights.
A representative of the Emirate Council, Alhaji Bashir Wali, Walin Kano, called for sustained community education and closer cooperation between traditional institutions and formal justice systems.
Representative of District Head of Tarauni, Alhaji Hamid Ali, noted that families and community leaders can stop harmful practice and encourage survivors to report.
Panel discussions ranged across prosecution gaps, evidence handling failures, and law enforcement constraints.
Speakers highlighted the need for prompt forensic medical examinations, technology-assisted witness statement recording, and scientific evidence-gathering to build cases that can withstand the pressures that often lead victims to withdraw testimony.
Police representatives acknowledged their mandate to act swiftly but called for stronger collaboration with schools, healthcare providers, social services, and the Ministry of Justice.
A recurring finding across sessions was that many cases collapsed not in court, but long before due to poor evidence preservation, delayed reporting, and communication breakdowns between institutions.
Participants called for clearer referral pathways, enhanced training for frontline actors, and greater investment in investigative tools and victim support services.
A second panel examined how education systems can better support survivors.
Beyond prevention, participants said, schools must actively facilitate reintegration through counselling, safe learning environments, and structured re-entry pathways.
Existing initiatives, including accelerated education programmes and learning centres across Kano State, were cited as foundations to build on.
Representatives from TIP’s Community Watchdog Committee outlined their role in community-based violence prevention, while members of the Girls’ Education Champion club presented a draft education monitoring scorecard, a girl-friendly tool designed to assess school and community safety and received feedback from participants.
The dialogue closed with a set of concrete action points: finalising Education Re-entry Guidelines to enable girls affected by SGBV or early marriage to return to school, expanding accelerated education programmes across additional local government areas, and establishing a coordinated SGBV reporting pathway across relevant state ministries.
Participants agreed to continue partnering with TIP toward that goal.
