First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Urges Coordinated Action to End Online Harassment and Make Digital Spaces Safe for Women and Girls

First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, today, Monday, November 24, 2025, issued a strong appeal for comprehensive action to protect women and girls from rising online abuse, specifically demanding that all stakeholders work together to ensure Nigeria’s digital environment is safe, inclusive, and respectful.

The call coincided with the commemoration of the 2025 International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which this year focused on the theme: “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls.”

Senator Tinubu observed that digital platforms, while offering immense opportunities for learning and economic empowerment, have unfortunately morphed into arenas where women and girls are targets of online bullying, exploitation, and targeted misogyny.

“Digital platforms were intended to encourage learning, connection, and productivity, but they have increasingly become spaces where women and girls face bullying, blackmail, stalking, and targeted misogyny,” the First Lady stated. “It is a threat that requires bold and coordinated actions from government institutions, technology companies, civil society, and all citizens.”

Safety as the Foundation for Digital Empowerment

The First Lady’s emphasis on safety reinforces her ongoing efforts under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), which has partnered with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to train hundreds of women across the geopolitical zones in digital skills.

By including modules on online safety and security in these training programs, the initiative ensures that as women gain digital access and economic power, they are also equipped to navigate the associated risks. The overarching goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s drive for a digital economy, which relies heavily on the participation of women, is not derailed by fear of abuse and harassment.