Oyo Speaker backs review of VAPP Law, seeks stronger framework to end SGBV

The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, has backed ongoing efforts to review the state’s Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2020, describing the move as necessary to strengthen the fight against sexual and gender-based violence.

Ogundoyin said the review would help address emerging realities, close gaps in the existing legislation and ensure that victims and survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence receive adequate protection and access to justice.

The Speaker stated this on Wednesday when he received a member of the newly inaugurated End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Media Core, Henry Odeh, in his office at the Parliamentary Complex of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Secretariat, Ibadan.

The meeting followed a two-day intensive workshop earlier organised for members of the SGBV Media Core by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, with support from the European Union Support to End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Programme, implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

The workshop was designed to strengthen public engagement on SGBV in the Federal Capital Territory and Benue, Kaduna and Oyo states by improving the quality, ethics and coordination of media and community-based communication.

The initiative also seeks to promote a shift from sensationalist and fragmented reporting of SGBV to professional, survivor-centred, evidence-based and action-oriented coverage.

It is also aimed at promoting prevention, improving access to trusted information, strengthening referral pathways and supporting positive social norm change, while enhancing community-level information-sharing structures for SGBV prevention and response.

The programme also covers emerging issues, including technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

Speaking on the proposed review, Ogundoyin said the 2020 VAPP Law had represented an important milestone in the state’s efforts to combat violence against persons, but changing social realities and implementation challenges made periodic review necessary.

He said an improved legal framework would strengthen institutional responses, clarify the responsibilities of relevant agencies and enhance mechanisms for protecting survivors.

Ogundoyin reaffirmed the commitment of the Assembly to enacting and strengthening legislation that protects vulnerable persons while promoting justice, dignity and accountability across the state.

He said the Assembly would give the proposed review the attention it deserved and expressed optimism that stakeholders would make constructive contributions to the process.

According to him, any amendment to the law must reflect the realities and needs of residents of the state and provide practical mechanisms for addressing sexual and gender-based violence.

The Speaker also stressed the need for stronger collaboration among the legislature, executive, judiciary, law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations, traditional and religious institutions, the media and other stakeholders.

He said a coordinated approach was necessary to prevent SGBV, improve reporting and prosecution, and ensure that survivors receive the necessary support.

Ogundoyin further called for increased public awareness of the provisions of the VAPP Law, noting that legislation could only achieve its intended purpose when citizens understood their rights and relevant institutions were adequately equipped to enforce the law.

He commended organisations and individuals working to end sexual and gender-based violence in Oyo State, assuring them of the Assembly’s readiness to support initiatives aimed at strengthening prevention, reporting, prosecution and survivor support.

The Speaker stressed that ending violence against women, children and other vulnerable persons required more than legislation, adding that sustained enforcement, public awareness and collective action were equally important.

Earlier, Odeh identified areas of the existing law that could be strengthened to make it more responsive to contemporary forms of violence and improve survivors’ access to justice.

He expressed confidence that the proposed review and amendment would provide an opportunity to harmonise relevant provisions, address implementation challenges and strengthen safeguards against sexual and gender-based violence in Oyo State.

He also emphasised the role of the media in shaping public understanding of SGBV, protecting survivors from further harm and promoting responsible reporting that encourages prevention and access to justice.