by FIDAA FAILURE IN PLAIN SIGHT: FIDA NIGERIA CONDEMNS OZORO FESTIVAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN; JUSTICE & ACCOUNTABILITY CANNOT WAIT!
FIDA Nigeria vehemently condemns the reported acts of great violence against women at the recent Ozoro festival in Delta State.
This brazen disregard for human dignity, is unacceptable and cannot be ignored.
What happened is not an isolated lapse — it is a glaring failure of protection, oversight, and disregard to the dignity of womanhood.
It is not culture or tradition but plain criminal acts and must be stopped.
Public spaces must never be arenas where the safety and dignity of women are compromised or negotiable.
The right to personal security is non-negotiable and must be enforced proactively and consistently.
Justice & Accountability in this matter is not optional. Those responsible must be identified and face the full force of the law. Survivors must be shielded, protected and cared for.
Beyond identifying and punishing perpetrators, it is imperative to scrutinize the systemic gaps that allowed such acts to unfold and ensure they are decisively addressed.
Organizers, community leaders, and authorities share the responsibility to guarantee and ensure that preventive safeguards are not just on paper but effective in practice. Public confidence hinges on visible, equitable, decisive action — anything less is a failure to uphold justice and protect citizens.
FIDA Nigeria demands immediate prompt action Now!
It must serve as a deterrent to other communities who under the guise of culture and traditions perpetuate heinous crimes against women.
Our laws abhors culture and traditions that are repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience.
We will not stay silent. We will not accept excuses.
Justice must be served — now.
Signed:
Country Vice President, FIDA Nigeria
Eliana Martins
Chineze Obianyo
National Publicity Secretary
FIDA Nigeria
by FIDAVACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT: Grants Mobilization, Partnerships & External Relations Officer
The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria is a non-governmental, non-profit and non-political organization committed to the promotion and protection of the rights of women and children through legal aid, advocacy, capacity building and institutional strengthening.
Location: National Secretariat, Abuja
The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting the organization’s resource mobilization efforts through grant writing, proposal development and partnership expansion and management, while also serving as a strategic liaison between FIDA Nigeria and key institutional stakeholders, including the Judiciary and her organs/components.
Key Responsibilities
Grant Mobilization
• Initiate the development of high-quality grant proposals, concept notes and funding applications to bilateral and multilateral donors, foundations and development partners.
• Identify and track funding opportunities aligned with FIDA Nigeria’s strategic priorities.
• Initiate proposal development processes, including technical inputs, budgeting and submission timeline
• Contribute to the development of institutional resource mobilization strategies.
• Initiate the development of organization resource mobilization framework
• Expand and strengthen organization resource mobilization policy and procedures
• Conduct donor landscape mapping to understand donors’ funding areas, themes, and future priorities
• Align fundraising efforts with the organization’s overall mission and long-term goals.
• Initiate organization fundraising diversification and funding policy
• Conduct industry mapping – to understand other organizations’ funding models, donors, areas of work, and competitive advantages
• Initiate the development of organization capacity statement
• Attend Call for Proposal and bid meetings
Partnerships & External Relations
• Manage and strengthen existing strategic partnerships with development partners, civil society organizations and institutional stakeholders.
• Initiate the development of a Partnership Policy and tools
• Conduct Partnership mapping to identify new strategic partners
• Serve as a key liaison between FIDA Nigeria and the Judiciary and relevant organs, facilitating communication, collaboration and coordination on initiatives that strengthen access to justice for women and children.
• Support the development and implementation of partnership engagement strategies to enhance institutional collaboration.
• Maintain relationships with existing donors and partners while identifying opportunities for new partnerships.
• Support the preparation of partnership briefs, reports and presentations for stakeholders and partners.
• Contribute to the development of institutional resource mobilization strategies.
• Contribute to the development of partnership strategies, action plans, and reporting mechanisms.
• Represent FIDA Nigeria in relevant stakeholder meetings, consultations and engagement platforms where required.
Qualifications and Experience
• Bachelor’s degree in Law or a related field. A postgraduate degree will be an added advantage.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of relevant professional experience in grant writing, proposal development, partnership management or resource mobilization within a non-profit, development or advocacy organization.
• Evidence of work with relevant actors in the Judiciary as an institution
• Proven experience developing successful grant proposals and managing donor relationships.
• Strong understanding of donor funding mechanisms, development programming and partnership engagement.
• An excellent demonstration of working experience with government institutions, judicial bodies or policy stakeholders is highly desirable.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong proposal and report writing abilities.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills.
• High level of professionalism, discretion and organizational ability.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Reporting Line
The Grants Mobilization, Partnerships and External Relations Officer will work under the direct supervision of the Senior Manager and provide support to the Programs and Partnership Department.
Application Process
Interested and qualified candidates should submit the following:
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• A cover letter highlighting relevant experience and suitability for the role
Applications should be sent via email to: hr@fida.org.ng with the subject line “Application – Grants & Partnerships Officer.”
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Females are strongly encouraged to apply!
by FIDAInternational Women’s Day 2026 Theme: Rights, Justice and Action for All Women and Girls
Every day in Nigeria, a woman seeks protection and is told to wait. A girl reports abuse and is advised to remain silent. A survivor enters a courtroom carrying both trauma and hope, uncertain which one will leave with her.
On International Women’s Day 2026, the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria celebrates the resilience, strength, and courage of women and girls across the nation. At the same time, we renew our call for a justice system and a society that do not ask women to endure in silence while institutions move at the pace of bureaucracy.
This year’s theme, Rights, Justice and Action for All Women and Girls, is not a ceremonial declaration. It is a call for enforcement, accountability, and measurable progress.
Justice must not depend on geography, income, ethnicity, disability, or social status. It must be accessible to all without discrimination.
Survivors of gender-based violence deserve timely investigations, diligent prosecution, and enforceable judgments. When cases stall, when accountability is inconsistent, and when stigma outweighs protection, the justice system fails those it was designed to defend.
Every woman and girl is entitled to dignity, safety, equality before the law, and meaningful participation in society. These are constitutional guarantees, not privileges granted by culture or circumstance. No woman should have to negotiate for protection, and no girl should inherit discrimination as her future.
Particular attention must be given to women and girls facing intersecting vulnerabilities, including women with disabilities, those in rural and conflict-affected communities, and economically marginalized populations. Reform that does not prioritize the most vulnerable remains incomplete.
Women and girls must not only be protected; they must also be heard. Their lived experiences expose systemic gaps, strengthen reform efforts, and enrich governance. Excluding women from decision-making or silencing survivors only perpetuates injustice.
FIDA Nigeria therefore calls for strengthened enforcement of gender-protective laws, reduced procedural delays within the justice system, expanded access to free legal aid and survivor support services, gender-responsive budgeting, transparent monitoring mechanisms, and sustained public education to challenge harmful stereotypes and discriminatory norms.
Declarations without implementation weaken public trust.
Transforming outcomes requires transforming attitudes. Families, schools, faith institutions, traditional authorities, media platforms, government agencies, civil society, and the private sector all share responsibility for dismantling discrimination and safeguarding rights.
When women and girls cannot access justice, the rule of law weakens. When violence goes unpunished, public confidence erodes. When inequality persists, national development slows. A nation that cannot protect its women cannot claim institutional strength.
As the Country Vice President of FIDA Nigeria stated:
“International Women’s Day must not be reduced to celebration while many women continue to navigate broken systems. Justice must move at the speed of urgency, not bureaucracy.”
As Nigeria advances broader institutional reform efforts, including within the justice sector, FIDA Nigeria remains steadfast in expanding free legal aid, advancing strategic litigation, strengthening policy advocacy, and closing enforcement gaps nationwide.
International Women’s Day 2026 must mark visible progress.
Rights must be protected.
Justice must be delivered.
Action must be sustained.
We also call on individuals, communities, and institutions to support women and girls in practical ways — by empowering them to thrive, extending care to those in need, and investing in initiatives that advance their safety, dignity, and opportunity.
Happy International Women’s Day.
Signed:
Elina Martins
Country Vice President
FIDA Nigeria
Chineze Obianyo
National Publicity Secretary
FIDA Nigeria
