OGUN VOWS TOUGH POLICIES ON GBV Ogun State Government has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy for Gender-Based Violence (GBV), child abuse, and all forms of exploitation, announcing that there will be stricter enforcement, coordinated prosecution, and uncompromising accountability for offenders. This was just as it reaffirmed its commitment to recognising and rewarding excellence in public service as a strategic pillar for effective social development, institutional integrity, and sustainable governance. The policy direction was unveiled by the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Adijat Adeleye, at the 3-in-1 New Year Programme held in Abeokuta. She described the event as a deliberate convergence of policy reflection, capacity building, and celebration, designed to align stakeholders, sharpen institutional focus, and set a firm policy tone for the year, with womens empowerment, child protection, and inclusive social development as central priorities. Reflecting on achievements recorded in the past year, the Commissioner attributed the growing impact of the Ministry to purposeful leadership, strong political will, and a clear reform agenda. She expressed profound appreciation to the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for providing an enabling policy environment that prioritizes social inclusion, safeguards the vulnerable, and strengthens institutional performance across the state, noting that his leadership has translated vision into measurable outcomes for the children, women and the vulnerable. She further emphasized that the Ministry agenda for 2026 was firmly anchored on results-driven governance, citizen-centred service delivery, and inter-agency collaboration. According to her, "policies and programmes in the new year will focus on prevention, early intervention, survivor support, and justice delivery, ensuring that social protection frameworks are not only responsive but also resilient, measurable, and sustainable". The Commissioner acknowledged the critical contributions of development and implementing partners, including UNFPA, OGSTEP and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) amongst others, noting that the partnerships have gone beyond financial support to deliver technical expertise, policy innovation, institutional strengthening, and international capacity-building opportunities for staff. She added that exposure to global best practices has significantly enhanced professionalism, efficiency, and accountability in service delivery in the Ministry. With the full support of security agencies, justice-sector institutions, and credible whistleblowers, the year 2026 will be extremely tough for perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence, child abuse, and all forms of exploitation. We will enforce the law without fear or favour, protect survivors decisively, and ensure that every offender is exposed and prosecuted", Adeleye declared. She explained that the programme featured a two-day intensive strategic training session for officers of the Ministry, bringing together senior and junior staff to interrogate emerging social challenges, strengthen technical capacity, and jointly chart a focused operational roadmap for 2026. "The programme also celebrated and affirmed the dignity of special children under the Ministrys care, reinforcing the administrations commitment to inclusion, equity, and the protection of every child, regardless of circumstance", the Commissioner stated.