The Federal Government has inaugurated an additional Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Abia to strengthen Nigeria’s protection framework for women and girls.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by Ahmed Danbazau, Head, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, recently in Abuja.

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, said that as of November 2025, Nigeria had 50 SARCs across 24 states, collectively assisting 58,134 survivors.

She noted, however, that the number remained insufficient compared to the magnitude of reported and unreported cases nationwide.

Suleiman-Ibrahim said it addresses Gender-Based Violence (GBV), which remains pervasive, underreported and increasingly complex in both physical and digital forms.

“Today marks a major step in strengthening the protection architecture for women and girls in Nigeria,” she said.

According to the minister, the SARC provides a safe, confidential and integrated platform for medical care, psychosocial support, legal referral and justice services for survivors.

She said the centre represents a structured and survivor-centred response embedded within the national social development framework.

“A functional SARC ensures that survivors receive confidential, survivor-centred and integrated services under one coordinated framework,” she added, noting that fragmented responses often compound trauma and weaken justice outcomes.

The minister highlighted the rising threat of technology-facilitated GBV, including cyberstalking, digital coercion, online trafficking, image-based abuse and coordinated digital harassment.

“These emerging threats demand stronger institutional response systems that combine legal, psychosocial, medical and digital protection mechanisms,” she said.

Suleiman-Ibrahim commended complementary initiatives, such as the Osusu Abaala Women Palm-Oil Collective, aimed at strengthening women’s incomes and reducing economic vulnerability; a root driver of GBV.

“When women are economically secure, socially organised and institutionally supported, their exposure to exploitation, abuse and dependency significantly declines,” she said.

The minister emphasised the ministry’s commitment to strengthening the national GBV response architecture through policy reforms, survivor support systems, data-driven coordination, and strategic partnerships under the Renewed Hope Social Development Agenda.

She commended President Bola Tinubu for declaring 2026 as the Year for Social Development and Families, calling it a bold step to reposition protection services as a core pillar of national stability, human capital development and social justice.

Suleiman-Ibrahim also appreciated the Government and people of Abia for providing an enabling environment for the centre’s establishment, noting that strong sub-national leadership is critical to building safe communities.

“To our development partners, service providers and frontline responders, your commitment to survivor care, justice and rehabilitation continues to strengthen Nigeria’s social protection system,” she said.

She stressed that silence, stigma and impunity must no longer define the experience of survivors, adding: “Access to justice, care and protection must become the national standard.”

The minister expressed confidence that the new SARC would operate with professionalism, confidentiality, accountability and compassion.

“It must serve as a safe space for healing, a gateway to justice and a model for replication across other states of the federation,” she said.

A Consultant Pediatrician, Dr. Folusho Balogun has stressed the need for parents to always report any vaccine reactions experienced by their children, to the immunisation clinic.

Balogun, Consultant Paediatrician, Institute of Child Health, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, made the remark on Friday in an interview in Ibadan.

Balogun, also the Oyo State Team Lead of the International Paediatrics Association and Paediatric Association of Nigeria Immunisation champions, said the reports should be used to improve vaccination programmes.

Balogun was speaking on how to manage vaccines reactions in children.

She urged clinics to encourage clients’ report of Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI), do proper documentation and forward the records to the right quarters.

The paediatrician emphasised that the data should be stored and processed appropriately to inform policy and practice.

She added that the AEFI investigation committee should be visible to the public and active at local government, state and national levels.

According to her, it’s the Pentavalent vaccine(the pertussis component) taken at 6,10 and 14 weeks that infants react to most.

“It causes fever and irritability which usually subside within 12 to 24 hours; parents are advised to give the infants paracetamol to control the reactions”.

Balogun cautioned that babies of HIV positive mothers needed to be assessed by health workers to determine their fitness to take some vaccines such as BCG.

She said the HIV exposed infant should be evaluated before the commencement of Immunisation.

“Common vaccine reactions are pain at the injection site, swelling which sometimes forms pus, redness especially in light skinned children and sometimes convulsion.

“Parents are usually informed about the likely side effects before vaccine administration and they are told what to do.

“For fever and pain, paracetamol is given, for swellings, cold compress like ice pack is used.

“For convulsion, the child should be laid on the left side till it subsides because most cases last for a few minutes; then the child should be brought back to the clinic for evaluation,” she said.

Balogun stresses that younger children, especially infants, were more likely to react to vaccines than older ones.

She added that the older the child, the less likely the chance of a reaction.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said 14 million Nigerian children have had their births officially registered in the past two years, marking significant progress in legal identity coverage.

UNICEF Country Representative, Wafaa Abdelatef, disclosed this on Friday during a courtesy visit to the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, at the State House, Abuja.

Abdelatef described birth registration as a fundamental right of every child, noting that the scale of progress recorded in Nigeria within a short period was remarkable compared to other countries where she had served.

“Birth registration is the first right of every child; to be counted and recognised.

She added that the registration system was being digitised across health facilities to improve efficiency, while supportive legislation was being considered by the National Assembly to strengthen the process.

According to her, sustained leadership and collaboration have helped accelerate the scale-up, ensuring that more children gain access to identity, protection and essential services.

Responding, the First Lady acknowledged UNICEF’s longstanding support to Nigeria, emphasising that birth registration must continue until every Nigerian child is captured.

“Every child has the right to be counted. Legal identity enables access to health services and social protection and supports national planning,” she said.

Tinubu noted that strengthening birth registration would also help the government generate reliable population data, especially in the absence of a recent census, and guide provision of services for children.

She, however, expressed concern over persistent health challenges, including tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS, and maternal and child mortality, describing them as areas requiring intensified interventions.

“Nigeria has a large population, and these indicators remain high and worrisome, but we are not relenting. Efforts are ongoing to reposition the country for a healthier future,” she said.

The First Lady reaffirmed her commitment to continued collaboration with UNICEF to advance child welfare and national development priorities.