Seminarian training kicks off in Nigeria to combat sexual and gender-based violence

ABUJA, Nigeria — The Catholic Church in Nigeria is equipping future priests with the knowledge and skills to identify, prevent, and respond to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

The initiative, which has already reached more than 260 seminarians at St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Makurdi, Benue State, seeks to prepare future priests to recognize different forms of abuse, support survivors, and promote safer communities through their pastoral ministry.

Speaking in an interview with ACI Africa, EWTN News’ sister service in Africa, during the three-day “Training and Capacity Building on the Prevention of Sexual and Gender Based Violence” for seminarians, the secretary general of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) said the disturbing prevalence of sexual and other forms of violence in Nigeria calls for deliberate efforts to ensure respect for every human person, particularly for those who are most vulnerable.

According to Father Michael Banjo, “Seminarians must receive formation that prepares them for the responsibility of protecting people from abuse, educating the faithful, and promoting a culture in which violence is neither tolerated nor concealed”.

“The…