Lagos State University (LASU) has completed Nigeria’s first nationwide, comprehensive study on rape, funded by a N34 million grant from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
The research team, led by LASU’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Prof. Olufunsho Omobitan, conducted this in-depth study across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, gathering data to reveal critical insights into the prevalence and nature of rape in the country.
At the dissemination seminar on LASU’s main campus, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello hailed the study as “an unprecedented, most comprehensive, and most profoundly empirical study on rape in Nigeria.” She emphasized the importance of the findings, urging all stakeholders to take the issue seriously, noting, “Rape, you will all agree with me, is a global social and public health problem.”
The research, titled Emerging Patterns and Determinants of Rape: Comparative Study of Rural-Urban Communities in Nigeria, analyzed data from over 3,000 females across urban and rural areas in 12 states. The findings revealed a higher incidence of rape in rural areas, with family members and neighbors identified as primary perpetrators. Key risk factors included childhood sexual abuse, broken family backgrounds, and other social determinants. The research reported alarming rates of childhood sexual abuse, with 35% nationally, and indicated that both married and unmarried women experience significant levels of sexual violence.
Highlighting the urgency of the findings, Prof. Olatunji-Bello called for stronger child protection laws and sustained media campaigns against sexual violence. She appealed to government agencies, community leaders, and religious institutions to collaborate in safeguarding vulnerable groups, particularly women and children.
Due to financial constraints from rising inflation, the team limited the dissemination seminar to Lagos. Prof. Onipede Wusu, the research team’s coordinator, expressed satisfaction with the project’s completion despite various challenges, underscoring that integrity and transparency guided their process.
