DSVA Urges Religious Institutions to Leverage Influence in Tackling Domestic and Sexual Violence

The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has called on religious institutions to use their influence to prevent domestic and sexual violence, noting that at least 80 per cent of survivors in the state solemnised their unions through religious ceremonies, either in churches or via Islamic Nikah.

Executive Secretary of DSVA, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, made the remarks during the launch of a religious pre-marital counselling online course designed to strengthen families and prevent domestic violence in Lagos State. She emphasized that faith institutions are uniquely positioned to influence couples before marriages even begin.

“Marriage preparation in Nigeria often starts within faith communities rather than government institutions. Pastors, imams, and religious marriage counsellors are frequently the first point of guidance for intending couples,” Vivour-Adeniyi said. She highlighted that religious leaders provide pre-marital counselling, spiritual guidance, conflict mediation, and advice when marriages face challenges.

“Because of this trusted position, religious leaders hold extraordinary influence in shaping how couples understand communication, respect, conflict resolution, gender roles, and marital expectations. However, traditional counselling approaches sometimes lack structured frameworks for identifying relationship risk factors, particularly those linked to domestic violence,” she added.

The DSVA executive secretary explained that religious institutions often serve as safe spaces where victims seek help, making it critical for counsellors to be equipped with the right knowledge and tools. In response, the Lagos State government has developed the Religious Pre-Marital Counselling Online Course, building on the standardized pre-marital curriculum introduced for marriage registrars.

The course specifically targets religious marriage counsellors, enabling them to provide holistic, informed, and responsible counselling that combines faith-based guidance with psychological insights, relationship science, legal awareness, and domestic violence prevention frameworks.

Accessible via safeguardingfamilies.org.ng, the course features 10 modules delivered by experts in family life education, psychology, and marriage administration. It adopts a flexible, interactive approach with self-paced digital lessons, real-life counselling case studies, quizzes, reflection exercises, and certification upon completion. Topics include the foundations and meaning of marriage, the science of connection, safety, protection, and ethics in marriage.

Vivour-Adeniyi described the initiative as a “powerful bridge between spiritual wisdom and practical relationship skills,” aimed at equipping religious leaders to proactively safeguard families and prevent domestic violence in Lagos State.

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