Alarmed by the growing incidence of revenge porn, sextortion and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, the Senate and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have called for urgent measures to strengthen Nigeria’s response to image-based sexual abuse and other forms of cyber-interpersonal violence.
The call came at a stakeholders’ workshop held in Lagos aimed at developing a comprehensive Nigerian framework to combat intimate image abuse, a form of online violence that experts said is increasingly destroying lives, damaging reputations and leaving victims with severe emotional and psychological scars.
Participants at the meeting described the abuse as one of the fastest-growing forms of technology-facilitated gender-based violence, warning that advances in digital technology and artificial intelligence have made it easier for perpetrators to create, manipulate and disseminate explicit images without the consent of victims.
They stressed that while the internet has revolutionised communication and social interaction, it has also created new avenues for abuse, blackmail and exploitation, with women and girls bearing the greatest burden of the emerging threat.
The Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics pledged legislative support to tackle the problem, while the UNODC advocated a survivor-centred and rights-based approach that prioritises prevention, protection, accountability and access to justice for victims.
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Stakeholders noted that victims of intimate image abuse often suffer devastating consequences that extend beyond the digital space. In many cases, survivors are subjected to public humiliation, cyberbullying, social isolation and extortion, with some losing educational opportunities, employment and relationships because of the unauthorised circulation of their intimate content.
Experts at the forum warned that the rise of artificial intelligence-generated “deepfake” technology has added a dangerous dimension to the problem by enabling perpetrators to produce realistic but fake explicit images and videos that can be used to harass, blackmail and destroy the reputations of innocent persons.
They therefore called for stronger laws, improved investigative and forensic capabilities, enhanced cooperation between law enforcement agencies and technology companies, and the establishment of rapid response mechanisms for removing abusive content from digital platforms.
The stakeholders also emphasised the need for greater public awareness and digital literacy, arguing that many victims remain silent because of fear of stigma, victim-blaming and retaliation.
Globally, image-based sexual abuse has emerged as a major human rights and public safety concern. International studies indicate that millions of people, particularly women and young people, have experienced some form of online sexual exploitation, with many incidents going unreported.
In Nigeria, concerns over cyber-enabled abuse have intensified amid increasing internet penetration, widespread use of smartphones and the growing influence of social media platforms. Rights groups and digital safety advocates have repeatedly warned that existing legal and institutional frameworks have struggled to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies and emerging forms of online abuse.
Participants at the workshop maintained that Nigeria must act decisively to close legal and policy gaps and build a robust framework capable of protecting citizens from digital exploitation.
They argued that ensuring safety in the digital space is no longer merely a technology issue but a pressing human rights and justice imperative requiring coordinated action by government institutions, lawmakers, law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations and the private sector.