The African Centre for Leadership Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) has initiated a comprehensive training programme for Benue State officials as part of efforts to establish the state’s first Sexual Offenders Register.
The training, which began Wednesday at Lafia, marks a significant step in Benue State’s integration into the Nigerian Sexual Offenders Register system. The programme targets members of the state’s Humanitarian Tracking and Monitoring Team and the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Prevention, Advocacy, and Response Committee.
“This initiative represents a crucial advancement in our fight against gender-based violence in Benue State,” said Mr. Essien Nyong, the project focal person for the Side-by-Side Movement for Gender Justice at Centre LSD. “The stakeholders we are training today will be directly responsible for managing the state’s Sexual Offenders Register, which is currently under development with our support.”
The capacity-building sessions, organised in collaboration with the Benue State Ministry of Justice and Public Order, aim to equip participants with essential skills for managing the register and monitoring humanitarian trafficking cases within the state.
The project is part of the broader Side-by-Side Movement for Gender Justice, a global initiative launched in 2018 that unites faith leaders, traditional authorities, and community members in advocating for gender justice.
Centre LSD officials indicated that the Sexual Offenders Register, once operational, will serve as a crucial tool in tracking and preventing sexual offences while supporting survivors of gender-based violence in Benue State.
The training programme continues through the week, with participants receiving instruction on database management, case tracking, and response protocols for SGBV incidents.
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