The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has raised concerns over the sustainability of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) across Nigeria, revealing that about 80 per cent of the facilities currently depend heavily on donor funding to remain operational.
The organisation warned that the heavy reliance on external funding poses a significant threat to the long-term survival of centres that provide critical support services to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
Chief Executive Officer of PPDC, Lucy Abagi, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the launch of the organisation’s 2025 Annual Reports and the State of Sexual Assault Referral Centres in Nigeria Report.
Abagi described the report as the most comprehensive national assessment of Sexual Assault Referral Centres ever conducted in the country, noting that it examined facilities across several states and exposed major gaps in Nigeria’s support system for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
According to her, while states such as Jigawa, Borno and Lagos have demonstrated encouraging levels of service delivery, many centres across the country continue to struggle with inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, insufficient staffing and weak institutional support.
She explained that Sexual Assault Referral Centres serve as the frontline response mechanism for survivors by providing free medical care, psychosocial support, legal assistance and protection services.
However, she warned that many of the centres remain vulnerable due to their dependence on donor support.
“Shelters remain unavailable in several locations, while approximately 80 per cent of centres depend heavily on donor funding for survival. Such dependence raises serious concerns about long-term sustainability,” Abagi said.
The report identified several challenges confronting the centres, including inadequate forensic facilities, limited access to shelters, weak coordination mechanisms and privacy concerns.
Abagi called on state governments to establish dedicated budget lines for Sexual Assault Referral Centres, expand shelter facilities, strengthen forensic capabilities and invest in staff training and prevention programmes.
She said the findings should serve as a wake-up call for government agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and citizens to work collectively towards building stronger institutions capable of protecting survivors and ensuring access to justice.
Beyond the findings on sexual assault referral centres, Abagi highlighted several achievements recorded by PPDC in the areas of justice sector reform, governance and digital accountability.
According to her, the organisation supported more than 20,000 detainees through prison reform initiatives, pre-trial detention programmes and engagements with the police disciplinary system.
She disclosed that PPDC secured the bail or release of 7,801 detainees who had spent months and, in some cases, years in detention without conviction.
Abagi further revealed that the organisation handled 94 pro bono cases, resulting in the acquittal and release of 428 detainees, including 54 indigent persons whose fines were paid on their behalf.
She added that technology-driven reforms introduced under the Court Administration and Case Management Project had led to the full automation of 10 courts, while 11,400 court files were archived and digitised to improve efficiency and accountability within the justice system.
Presenting the Sexual Assault Referral Centres assessment report, Programme Manager, Access to Justice, Mariam Omeiza, called for improved data management systems to strengthen planning, accountability and advocacy efforts.
According to her, the introduction of secure digital case management systems across states would improve record-keeping, confidentiality and case tracking.
“At the same time, staff capacity should be strengthened in data collection, analysis and utilisation to ensure that information generated at centre level informs state-level planning and policy decisions,” Omeiza said.
She added that stronger coordination between Sexual Assault Referral Centres, law enforcement agencies and the justice system would be critical to improving outcomes for survivors.
“Clear referral pathways, joint protocols and ongoing engagement with police and court officials, particularly around the implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, will help close existing gaps and build a more responsive and survivor-focused system,” she stated.
In his goodwill message, Senior Programme Officer of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Abu Ayuba, commended PPDC and other stakeholders for producing the report.
Ayuba said addressing gender-based violence requires strong institutions, reliable data and sustained collaboration among stakeholders.
He noted that the report would provide critical evidence needed to strengthen policies, improve existing response mechanisms and promote accountability across the ecosystem supporting survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
According to him, access to Sexual Assault Referral Centres often represents the difference between continued trauma and the support necessary for recovery and justice.
He urged stakeholders to translate the report’s recommendations into concrete actions capable of delivering measurable impact for survivors across the country.
