The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has raised concerns over the sustainability of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) across Nigeria, revealing that about 80 per cent of the facilities currently depend heavily on donor funding to remain operational.
The organisation warned that the heavy reliance on external funding poses a significant threat to the long-term survival of centres that provide critical support services to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
Chief Executive Officer of PPDC, Lucy Abagi, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the launch of the organisation’s 2025 Annual Reports and the State of Sexual Assault Referral Centres in Nigeria Report.
Abagi described the report as the most comprehensive national assessment of Sexual Assault Referral Centres ever conducted in the country, noting that it examined facilities across several states and exposed major gaps in Nigeria’s support system for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
According to her, while states such as Jigawa, Borno and Lagos have demonstrated encouraging levels of service delivery, many centres across the country continue to struggle with inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, insufficient staffing and weak institutional support.
She explained that Sexual Assault Referral Centres serve as the frontline response mechanism for survivors by providing free medical care, psychosocial support, legal assistance and protection services.
However, she warned that many of the centres remain vulnerable due to their dependence on donor support.
“Shelters remain unavailable in several locations, while approximately 80 per cent of centres depend heavily on donor funding for survival. Such dependence raises serious concerns about long-term sustainability,” Abagi said.
The report identified several challenges confronting the centres, including inadequate forensic facilities, limited access to shelters, weak coordination mechanisms and privacy concerns.
Abagi called on state governments to establish dedicated budget lines for Sexual Assault Referral Centres, expand shelter facilities, strengthen forensic capabilities and invest in staff training and prevention programmes.
