Analysis of the Political Economy of Gender-Based Violence Policy in Nigeria

Gender-based violence policy in Nigeria is produced through a political economy that involves competing interests, institutional cultures, donor influences, and social movement pressures in ways that shape both policy ambition and implementation effectiveness. This study analyses the political economy of GBV policy development and implementation in Nigeria, examining key legislative and programmatic moments from 2019 to 2024. A critical qualitative design was employed, with process tracing methodology applied to three policy cases: VAPP Act domestication, National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security, and the SGBV Emergency Response Fund. Data were generated through 50 elite interviews and documentary analysis. Findings reveal that GBV policy in Nigeria is characterised by international donor leverage for policy commitments that outpace domestic enforcement capacity, fragmented institutional ownership across multiple ministries, and periodic policy punctuation driven by high-profile GBV incidents followed by sustained implementation neglect. Gender civil society organisations play the most consistent advocacy role but face shrinking civic space. The study develops a Political Economy of GBV Policy Framework applicable to other West African contexts. This research makes an original analytical contribution by applying political economy methodology to GBV policy analysis in Nigeria. Keywords: political economy, GBV policy, Nigeria, women's rights, policy implementation