Help to Stop Child Sexual Abuse in Nigeria

Cece Yara’s Q2 GlobalGiving Report 2026

A Quarter of Facilitating Access to Justice and Navigating All Sectors to ensure Child Protection

Executive Summary

Cece Yara’s Q2 2026 performance demonstrates growing national relevance, strong public trust and increasing demand for child-protection services. The Centre recorded 1,643 helpline calls from 1,071 unique callers, managed 59 cases and delivered 126 services, while programme and media activities reached over 221,000 people.

The quarter was defined by strong prevention outreach, legal and forensic interview visibility, strategic engagement with the judiciary, Federal Ministry of Justice, ESGBV IDEA II, Freedom Fund, Schools and community actors, and continued survivor support across Lagos, Abuja and beyond.

1. Legislative Advocacy for the Sustainability and Scalability of the Lagos State Child Sexual Abuse Investigative and Interview Protocol

Cece Yara is blazing the trail for the building of Nigeria’s national child forensic interview system over five years. It implemented a consultative workshop  for the sustainability and scalability of the Lagos State Child Sexual Abuse investigative and interview Protocol to serve as a Launchpad for the evidence base, coalition, legal pathway, certification architecture, costed roadmap and institutional platform  envisaged to sustain and scale up the process of a child friendly justice system.

The workshop served as the first formal implementation milestone of the Nigeria Child Forensic Interview Systems Programme to secure stakeholder ownership, validate implementation risks, agree agency responsibilities, initiate monitoring arrangements and position Lagos State as the national proof-of-concept for trauma-informed child forensic interviewing.

The workshop featured the participation of 52 child focused professionals from different agencies with outcomes including agreed implementation commitments, designation of agency focal persons, strengthened referral pathways, monitoring and reporting arrangements, and a practical framework for justice-sector, health-sector, law enforcement and child protection agencies’ participation in the sustainable implementation of the protocol.

1. Caleb University College of Law Career Fair Week

The Cece Yara CAC Legal Team participated in the Caleb University College of Law Law Week Career Fair by engaging law students on dealing with Sexual Assault on Campus.

The engagement exposed future legal luminaries to the realities children face when navigating the justice system and highlighted the importance of trauma-informed, ethical and child-sensitive legal practice. It also encouraged the students to create safe environment in their universities alongside creating support groups for survivours to access the best practices of professional service response

The University Community was engaged as it includes representation from key sectors of the Nation and those individuals who can provide crucial insight into planning appropriate interventions for Child Sexual Abuse Cases.

A total of 77 students and 6 lecturers including the Dean of the Faculty benefitted from the training.

3. Strategic Media Advocacy in Ensuring Child Protection for Child Domestic Workers

Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre strengthened its public awareness efforts through strategic appearances on radio and television platforms, including Radio Talk on Inspiration 92.3 FM and on NTA Network. Through these engagements, the organisation educated the public on child protection, the prevention of sexual violence, early identification of abuse, reporting pathways and the professional support services available to children and families.

The media engagements reached an estimated audience of over 1,000,000 viewers and listeners, significantly extending Cece Yara’s child-protection messages beyond its physical centres and community outreach activities. The appearances helped to break the silence surrounding child abuse, encouraged adults to recognise that early reporting can prevent further harm and reinforced public knowledge of where survivors, parents, caregivers and concerned citizens can seek timely assistance.

The programme demonstrated Cece Yara’s commitment to developing a capable and confident workforce that can effectively communicate complex child-protection issues to diverse audiences. Through sustained media visibility, the organisation strengthened its position as a trusted source of safeguarding information and deepened the connection between public awareness, reporting and access to appropriate support services.

Still on Media Advocacy, Cece Yara implemented a radio-jingle campaign under the Nigeria Hotspot Programme - Addressing Exploitative Child Domestic Work, with a specific focus on preventing exploitative child domestic work. The programme had a total reach of about 220,000 people

The campaign drew public attention to the risks faced by children engaged in domestic labour, including abuse, exploitation, denial of education and unsafe working conditions. By using radio, Cece Yara extended vital child-protection messages beyond its physical centres and reached families, employers, caregivers and community members who may otherwise have limited access to safeguarding information. The activity strengthened public understanding of the shared responsibility to protect children from exploitation and promote safe, lawful and dignified care arrangements.

1. Training of Judges on a Child Friendly Justice System of Forensic InterviewJudges
   Cece Yara in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice facilitated a training session during the national Judges conference to Judges of the SGBV Courts across the nation on the best practices of child forensic interview and a trauma informed justice system aimed at facilitating access to justice for survivors of child sexual abuse by preventing their re-traumatisation as they navigate the criminal justice system. A total of 100 judges participated in the training which was followed by a learning visit of the judicial officers to the Cece Yara Centre to observe a live demo of the forensic interview process. The visit was distinct from the organisation’s participation in the judges’ conference and provided an opportunity for the judges to observe the practical application of child-friendly justice principles. A total of 102 Judges attended the program

The conference and the visit represented a significant achievement in strengthening judicial awareness and support for child-sensitive procedures. It also advanced Cece Yara’s broader advocacy for institutional acceptance and sustainable use of forensic interviewing and child-friendly testimony arrangements within the Nigerian justice system.5

1. Educators’ Training at Peter Havard International School School
   Cece Yara conducted a child-protection training for educators and school personnel at Peter Harvard International School. The training strengthened participants’ capacity to identify indicators of abuse, understand their safeguarding responsibilities, and respond appropriately to disclosures or concerns involving children. A total of 36 teachers participated in the training,

By investing in educators, who interact with children daily, the activity contributed to the development of a safer and more responsive school environment. Teachers were better positioned to recognise behavioural or physical warning signs, avoid actions that could further traumatise a child and activate the appropriate reporting and referral pathways. The training represented an important step towards embedding child protection within the school’s everyday practices.

6. Reaching Out to less served Communities - Sensitisation at Karu Primary Health Care Centre
Cece Yara sensitised 50 women at  Karu Primary Health Care Centre, Abuja FCT, on the dynamics of child sexual abuse, possible indicators of abuse, safe responses to disclosures and available reporting channels. The engagement empowered mothers, caregivers and women within the community with practical information that could help them identify concerns earlier and respond without blaming or silencing the child. Participants were also introduced to available support and referral pathways, reducing uncertainty about where to seek help. By taking child-protection education into a primary healthcare setting, Cece Yara reached women at a trusted community access point and strengthened the protective capacity of families.

The team also visited the orphanage at Karu to sensistise teh children on body safety rules and case reporting. About 83 children were empowered at the orphanage.

7.P.T.A. Forum at Juniper Hill School

Cece Yara delivered an adult sensitisation session at the Juniper Hill Schools Parents–Teachers Forum, reaching 55 parents and teachers with practical information on child protection and safeguarding.

The session strengthened the shared understanding that parents and schools must work together to prevent abuse and respond effectively to child-protection concerns. The engagement helped reinforce a common safeguarding language between the home and school, thereby reducing gaps through which abuse or neglect could go unnoticed.

8. Holding a Court Session at the Centre to Promote a Child Friendly Justice System

The Presiding Judge in the Criminal Division of the Lagos State High Court requested Cece Yara  to continue a child sexual abuse trial at the Cece Yara  child-friendly forensic interview suite.

The request was based on the need to continue the trial in a child-friendly environment, prevent further re-traumatisation of the child witness, and facilitate access to justice. The court session was held to protect the child witness from additional trauma while preserving the accused person’s constitutional right to fair hearing, cross-examination and equality of arms. The outcome of the court session was evidenced by the optimal disclosure of the events of the abuse by the child without experiencing further re-traumatisation.

9. Training and Development

The Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre is strengthened the capability of its workforce through a structured learning programme delivered under two complementary F.I.T Africa learning streams:

The initiative responds directly to capacity gaps identified through staff meetings, performance conversations and informal appraisal processes held earlier in the year. It is not a stand-alone training activity; it is a targeted organisational-development intervention designed to improve how staff understand the Centre's mission, perform their responsibilities, work across teams and contribute to sustainable service growth.

Links:

• Parliamentray news NTA