UI Don Calls for Comprehensive Interventions to Tackle Intimate Partner Violence in Nigeria

A Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Ibadan, Prof. Adegbenga Sunmola, has called for stronger and more comprehensive interventions to address intimate partner violence (IPV) in Nigeria.

Prof. Sunmola made the call while delivering the 625th Inaugural Lecture of the University on behalf of the Faculty of the Social Sciences. The lecture, titled Intimate Partner Violence in Nigeria: Beyond Tolerance and Beyond Silence, was the 22nd in the series for the 2025/2026 academic session.

He described IPV as both a public health emergency and a violation of women's fundamental rights, noting that it occurs in physical, sexual, emotional and psychological forms. According to him, physical violence includes acts such as hitting, slapping, kicking and choking, while sexual violence involves non-consensual sexual acts. Emotional and psychological abuse, he said, includes insults, humiliation, intimidation, threats and behaviours that undermine a woman's self-worth and autonomy.

The inaugural lecturer warned that normalisation of violence within relationships could perpetuate cycles of abuse across generations, stressing that cultural, religious or social considerations should not be used to justify violence against women.

Citing research findings, he disclosed that 23.4 percent of women reported having experienced husband-to-wife IPV, compared with 1.7 percent who reported wife-to-husband IPV. He added that husband-to-wife IPV was highest in the South-South geopolitical zone at 35.2 percent, followed by the South-East at 30.7 percent and North-Central at 24.8 percent, noting that IPV is not restricted to any particular zone.

Prof. Sunmola attributed the higher burden on women partly to patriarchal structures and traditional gender norms that confer greater authority and decision-making power on men within households. He referenced the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, which showed wide variations across states in the prevalence of women aged 15 to 49 who had experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence from a husband or intimate partner.

He highlighted the consequences of IPV to include deep wounds, broken bones, burns, internal injuries, miscarriages, permanent disabilities and, in severe cases, death, as well as psychological trauma, reduced capacity to work and care for families, and significant economic costs to households and the health system.

He identified controlling behaviour by husbands, such as restrictions on movement, relationships and finances, as a key factor, noting that such behaviour combined with alcohol consumption increased the likelihood of perpetrating violence.

Prof. Sunmola called for integration of psychological and social support into IPV response systems, including confidential counselling, trauma-informed care and referral services. He advocated greater investment in women's education, skills development, employment and access to economic resources to strengthen autonomy and access to support.

He also urged sustained community-based programmes to challenge norms that legitimise wife-beating and male dominance, with active involvement of men and boys, traditional and religious leaders and the media.

He recommended integration of IPV screening and response into maternal, reproductive and sexual healthcare services, and called for technology-facilitated IPV to be included in Nigeria's gender-based violence prevention framework through digital safety education, confidential reporting channels and survivor-centred support.

He stressed the need to break the culture of silence by establishing accessible, confidential and survivor-centred services, including counselling, shelters, legal assistance and responsive law enforcement.

Prof. Sunmola concluded that research should move beyond documenting prevalence to examining psychological, gendered and socio-cultural mechanisms sustaining violence and translating evidence into effective policy and practice.