Lagos State, on Thursday, took a major step in tackling workplace harassment as the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency held a symposium on ‘The Impact of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence on Labour and Organisational Productivity in the Workplace.’

According to a statement by the Lagos DSVA on X on Thursday, he event drew over 130 professionals from banking, oil and gas, hospitality, FMCG, and trade union sectors.

In her welcome address, DSVA Executive Secretary, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, emphasised that SGBV “is not only a human rights violation but also a major economic challenge.”

She highlighted data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, noting that Nigeria loses an estimated $3 billion annually, about 1% of its economic output, due to gender-based violence.

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Vivour-Adeniyi also shared findings from a recent DSVA survey of 549 professionals, revealing that “over 70% had experienced workplace harassment, 89.3% knew someone affected, and only 4.5% had never encountered such misconduct.”

She stressed, “These numbers show that SGBV is not a distant issue, it is happening in workplaces across Lagos State, affecting productivity, mental health, and economic growth.”

Speakers at the symposium called for urgent action. Representing AXA Mansard, Chief Marketing Officer Mrs. Adebola Surakat said, “We remain committed to advocacy and awareness on the dangers of workplace harassment. Organisations must do more to create safe, inclusive environments for all employees.”

Chairman of the Lagos State House Committee on Women Affairs, Hon Omolara Olumegbon, noted that “SGBV is both an economic and societal challenge,” adding that the House would “continue to strengthen legal frameworks to protect vulnerable workers and promote dignity in the workplace.”

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Keynote speaker Founder of Women At Risk International Foundation, Dr. Kemi Ibru, underlined the toll of harassment on workplace productivity.

She said, “We must implement zero-tolerance policies, ensure survivor support systems, and make organisations accountable. Workplace harassment is not just a moral issue, it affects business and national growth.”

A panel of experts, including Comrade Oyinkan Olasanoye, Dr. Nkechinyere (Nikky) Duru, Dr. Iyadunni Atinuke Gbadebo, Mrs. Olubusola Abidakun, and Comrade Abiodun Aladetan, explored practical strategies for prevention and response, with discussions moderated by Ms. Anuli Aniebo.

The symposium also marked the launch of the ‘Lagos State Guidelines for Preventing and Addressing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace’, described by organisers as “a pioneering framework for safer and more inclusive organisations across the State.”

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Dr. Gbonjubola Abiri, Consultant Psychiatrist and CEO of Redimed Consulting Services, concluded the event with a vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to “all partners and participants for advancing this crucial cause.”

“Sexual and gender-based violence concerns us all,” the organisers emphasised.

Sexual and gender-based violence, ranging from harassment, intimidation, and coercion to physical and sexual abuse, is a widespread issue across Nigeria.

Workplace harassment not only affects individuals’ mental and physical health but also reduces productivity, increases staff turnover, and undermines organisational growth.

American rapper Snoop Dogg said he was “in love” with Australian Rules football Thursday, ahead of a controversial performance at the sport’s grand final.

The 53-year-old will take to the stage at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, which will be jammed with up to 100,000 fans watching as Geelong face Brisbane.

“I’ve been coming to this country for years and I understand what this game is and what it means,” he told Australian media at a function where no questions were permitted.

“I know that it’s not just a sport, it’s a way of life. I just fell in love with the sport,” he added.

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“I always would watch it, but never really understood it.

“It reminded me of American football, rugby and a couple of other things, but now that I understand it, I like it and want to know more about it before the grand finale.”

AFL, which is similar to Ireland’s Gaelic football, traces its roots back to 1858 and is Australia’s most popular spectator sport.

Snoop Dogg was a controversial pick for the grand final entertainment, given his past use of misogynistic and offensive lyrics in some of his songs.

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The AFL was accused of hypocrisy for hiring him in August while at the same time banning Adelaide star Izak Rankine for four games over a homophobic slur against an opponent.

AFL chief Andrew Dillon defended the decision to hire the American, whose real name is Calvin Broadus.

“I’ve been really confident with the choice of Snoop,” he said.

“He’s performed at the Olympics, he’s performed at a Super Bowl, and he’ll suit our stage.”

AFP

Nigeria went into the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA with an ambitious agenda.

Speaking on behalf of the country on Wednesday, Vice-President Kashim Shettima outlined demands that touch on everything from global governance to economic opportunity.

Prior to the debate, Nigeria would press for representation in the UN security council, global finance architecture changes, and address the Palestinian statehood debate.

The Vice President pushed for those reforms, stressing that they were crucial to Africa’s future and the balance of international order.

DAILY POST highlights major takeaways from Shetimma’s speech.

DEMAND FOR UN COUNCIL SEAT

Shettima started his speech by criticising what he described as the “slow pace of progress” at the UN.

He explained that the troubling signs had forced nations to dismiss the fairness of the multilateral institution and charged the global body to make changes that work.

One of the changes, Shettima argued, is Nigeria’s permanent representation at the UN security council.

“A stabilising force in regional security and a consistent partner in global peacekeeping, our case for permanent seat at the Security Council is a demand for fairness, for representation, and for reform that restores credibility to the very institution upon which the hope of multilateralism rests.

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“We are despised by terrorists because we choose tolerance over tyranny. Their ambition is to divide us and to poison our humanity with a toxic rhetoric of hate,” he said.

FAIRNESS IN MINERAL MINING

The Vice president frowned at the exploitative mining on the continent, lamenting that they leave African nations impoverished.

Shettima agreed that international investments offer a way out of decay but noted that African countries must also benefit from the process.

“We know in Nigeria, that we are more stable when those communities that have access to key resources are able to benefit from those resources. This has been our journey in the oil producing region of the Niger Delta,” he said.

“I believe that we will strengthen the international order, when those countries that produce strategic minerals benefit fairly from those minerals — in terms of investment, partnership, local processing and jobs,” he said.

BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

Shettima also made the case for Africa’s inclusion in technological advancements to bridge the digital divide through the creation of a “dedicated initiative” that would bring researchers, private sector, governments and communities together.

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He said, “As we stand on the threshold of new and dramatic technological change, we are still absorbing the impact of the revolution in information and communication of the past 20 years.

“We understand better than we did, the opportunities technology offers as well as the safeguards we need to enable growth and mitigate the potential for corrosion. Some worry about fake news. We have plenty of that, with the potential of devastating real-world consequences in countries rich and poor.”

ESTABLISHMENT OF GLOBAL FINANCE COURT

The second demand was a call for measures that would oversee the restructuring of the global finance architecture.

Shettima said the increasingly difficult security outlook in the world has prompted many countries to count the cost of the emerging world order.

“We in Nigeria are already familiar with such difficult choices: infrastructure renewal or defence platforms? schools or tanks.

“We can take that progress to the next level, a level that presents new opportunities for trade, investment and profit, if we can access reforms to strengthen the international financial architecture,” he added.

CLIMATE CHANGE NOT AN ABSTRACT ISSUE

Shettima took a different position from US President Donald Trump who called climate change the “greatest con job” of all time.

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The vice-president asked the UN to re-examine the best use of its scarce resources by addressing climate change.

“It is not an abstract issue about an indeterminate fate, to be settled at some distant point in the future,” he said.

CONDEMNATION OF ISRAEL, SUPPORT FOR PALESTINE

Nigeria has long recognised Palestine as a state since 1988. But at UNGA, Shettima joined the clarion call for a two-state solution.

He condemned Israel’s war in Gaza, saying the tensions scar the wider region.

“We do not believe that the sanctity of human life should be trapped in the corridors of endless debate. That is why we say, without stuttering and without doubt, that a two-state solution remains the most dignified path to lasting peace for the people of Palestine.

“The people of Palestine are not collateral damage in a civilisation searching for order. They are human beings, equal in worth, entitled to the same freedoms and dignities that the rest of us take for granted,” he stated.