Child sexual abuse in Nigeria

Child sexual abuse in Nigeria is a criminal offence under several sections of chapter 21 of the country's Criminal Code. The legal age of consent is 18.

A 2015 report by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) found that one in four girls and one in ten boys in Nigeria had experienced sexual violence before the age of 18. A survey conducted by Positive Action for Treatment Access revealed that over 31.4% of girls reported their first sexual experience was rape or some form of coerced sex.

The Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development reported that 1,200 cases of rape involving girls were documented in 2012 in Rivers State, located in the southeastern coastal region of Nigeria.

According to UNICEF, six out of ten Nigerian children experience some form of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse before turning 18, with half experiencing physical violence. Cases of abuse have also been reported in religious contexts, including within Protestant denominations and among some Muslim communities practicing polygamy.

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