Health
Oluremi Tinubu boosts referral centres for SGBV survivors with Patience Home
The New Era Foundation, owned by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has bolstered Nigeria’s referral centres for sexual and gender-based violence survivors with the handover of Patience Home, a centre designed to assist women who are victims of abuse, to the Federal Government.
The home, which is to boost the over 50 existing referral centres in Nigeria, is aimed at improving access to support services for survivors of SGBV.
The handover, which took place in Lagos during the weekend, followed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and the New Era Foundation signed in June 2026.
Speaking at the handover, Mrs Tinubu said Patience Home was to help women who are survivors of SGBV.
Tinubu, who was represented by NEF Secretary, Barr. Grace Giwa, said, “The Patience Home was established by the New Era Foundation in 2019 to provide transitional housing and vocational training to help vulnerable women, especially widows, rebuild their lives. The home is now being converted to a halfway house for women who are victims of domestic violence abuse.”
The First Lady, who is the President of NEF, said the handover was the final phase of the tripartite MoU signed between NEF, FMWASD and NPHCDA on the 17th of June, 2026.
“It marks the fulfilment of the commitment to providing women affected by domestic violence with a safe haven to heal and rebuild their lives in the Patience Home,” she said.
Tinubu commended the partners for their “collaboration and commitment to the welfare and well-being of vulnerable Nigerian women”.
“We hope that under this new stewardship, the home will continue to serve as a functional and safe rehabilitation facility for women survivors of Gender Based Violence,” she said.
Also speaking, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said the handover by NEF marks an important milestone in the commitment to protecting the victims and survivors of SGBV.
According to her, sexual and gender-based violence remains a serious national concern, affecting women and girls across communities, social groups, and age brackets.
She explained that survivors often require immediate protection and coordinated support, particularly where returning home may expose them to further violence or place their lives at risk.
“The need for facilities such as Patience Home has become increasingly urgent. The situation is further compounded by the limited number of safe shelters and specialised response facilities available to survivors.
“Nigeria currently has only 52 Sexual Assault Referral Centres serving a population of more than 200 million people, while many survivors still lack access to safe accommodation, medical care, psychosocial support, legal assistance, counselling, rehabilitation, and economic empowerment services. This gap is critical.
“The establishment of more shelters and Sexual Assault Referral Centres across the country is therefore essential to ensuring timely, survivor-centred, and accessible services,” Sulaiman-Ibrahim said.
She stressed that the FG remains committed to advancing the welfare, protection, and empowerment of women and girls, while strengthening systems that enable vulnerable individuals and families to live with dignity and security.
“Patience Home is more than a physical structure; it is a sanctuary of safety, healing, restoration, and empowerment. It provides a supportive environment where survivors can access essential services while preserving their privacy, dignity, and well-being.
“Patience Home is designed to provide psychosocial support, medical care, counselling, rehabilitation, skills acquisition, and referral services. These interventions address both the immediate and long-term needs of survivors.
“By combining care with opportunities for personal development and economic empowerment, the facility can help beneficiaries rebuild their lives, achieve greater independence, and participate meaningfully in their families and communities,” the minister said.
According to her, the establishment and operationalisation of safe spaces such as Patience Home are consistent with Nigeria’s commitment to ending all forms of violence against women and girls.
The NPHCDA Executive Director, Dr. Muyi Aina, said the ministry will manage the Home and coordinate its protection, social support and rehabilitation services.
Aina also noted that the NPHCDA will provide technical support for healthcare services, including clinical capacity building, medical equipment and start-up consumables, as well as periodic quality assessments.
“Our priority is to ensure that survivors receive appropriate, compassionate and quality healthcare in an environment that protects their privacy, confidentiality, dignity and rights.
“We will also support effective referrals and linkages with primary healthcare centres and other relevant services to ensure continuity of care”, he said,
According to the NPHCDA boss, “our collective responsibility is to ensure that the Home is adequately staffed, equipped, funded and sustainably managed”, he added.
“Protecting women and girls from gender-based violence is a collective responsibility. Government, healthcare professionals, civil society and communities must work together to prevent violence, eliminate stigma and ensure that survivors can seek help without fear or discrimination,” Aina said.
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