Nigeria is the first country to undertake and launch the Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) in West Africa.

The Government of Nigeria led the implementation of the Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) in 2014, and launched the VACS report in 2016. The Federal and State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development coordinated the implementation of the VACS, with support from PEPFAR, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and EU.

In response to the survey findings, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria launched the Year of Action to End Violence against Children in September 2015. This was a call to action for not only federal and state ministries and agencies, but also for NGOs, FBOs, media, communities, parents, and children to join together to prevent and respond to physical, sexual, and emotional violence.

Strong commitments were made to take action to end violence against children, including by the President, the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Judge of Federal Capital Territory, the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Children’s Parliament, UNICEF, the U.S. Mission, the CSO consortium, Sultan of Sokoto and the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, as well as the hosts, the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.