24th Inaugural Lecture: Redeemer’s University Don Proffers 5 Priority Solutions to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria
By Bright Olorungbotemi, Ede
A Professor of Gender and Humanitarianism at the Centre for Gender and Humanitarianism and Development Studies, Prof. Oluwatoyin Olatundun Ilesanmi of Redeemer’s University, Ede, on Thursday proffered five priority solutions to the perennial problem of gender-based violence in Nigeria.
Prof. Ilesanmi, in her inaugural lecture entitled: “Vulnerability, Voice and Valour: Navigating Transformative Frontiers in Gender, Humanitarianism, and Psychosocial Wellbeing”, delivered as the 24th inaugural lecture series of the university, called for a fundamental shift in how Nigeria and Africa respond to crises, saying current challenges require solutions that connect gender, mental health, governance, security and community wellbeing.
Delivering an inaugural lecture, she said the old way of handling humanitarian and psychosocial problems in “separate boxes” is no longer working.
She outlined five priority solutions needed to address complex humanitarian challenges:
1. Dismantle Academic Silos
She said the “dismantling of academic silos that separate the clinic from the conflict zone” was necessary. According to her, universities must stop fragmenting human beings into biological, psychological and spiritual categories. “We must build intellectual bridges,” she stated, urging scholars to show “epistemic valour” and refuse to work in isolation.
2. Institutionalize Gender as a Core Lens
The professor called for the institutionalisation of gender as a structural analytical tool, rather than treating it as an additional component of development and humanitarian interventions.
3. Move From Performative to Trauma-Informed Humanitarianism
She advocated a transition from what she described as “performative humanitarianism” to trauma-informed and inclusive interventions. Humanitarian responses and disaster management systems, she said, should be restructured around inclusive and organized care, instead of relying on “symbolic expressions of compassion.”
4. Protect Wellbeing and Pursue Epistemic Justice
She stressed the need to protect the psychosocial wellbeing of both vulnerable people and those providing care. She also called for the “aggressive pursuit of epistemic justice” in how marginalized voices are archived, retrieved and utilized in academic, policy and humanitarian processes.
5. Enforce Structural Accountability with Community Involvement
She urged governments to move beyond symbolic condolences toward structural accountability in governance, justice and security architecture.
On the role of universities, she said higher institutions should cease to be mere observers of crises and become “sites of protection and intellectual transformation.”
She added that sustainable transformation would require the active involvement of community, cultural and religious gatekeepers, especially in addressing cultural norms and adolescent socialization.
She concluded: “Vulnerability will always exist, but through our collective valour, it need not be a death sentence.”
In his closing remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Prof. Shadrach Akindele, emphasized the need for impact.
He appreciated the guest lecturer’s family and the university community for making the lecture a reality, and prayed for journey mercies for all attendees.