The students of University of Lagos (UNILAG) have recorded a feat having designed innovative mobile applications to address online abuse, with the winning team receiving a ₦1 million innovation grant to develop their solution
The management of the institution impressed by the feat recorded by the students reaffirmed the institution of the commitment to combating technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV)
The hackathon, themed The WARDC TFGBV Response App Challenge: Empowering Students to End Tech-Facilitated Violence, was organised by the (WARDC) in collaboration with the (UNTF) UN Women, Canadian Government, the Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA), Media Action and Development Foundation (MADE-F), as part of activities marking the 2025 16 Days of Activism.
The Director of the Safeguarding Centre, University of Lagos, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, in her welcome address said the initiative reflected the university’s commitment to maintaining a safe, non-sexist, non-discriminatory and non-exploitative academic environment.
She noted that the Safeguarding Centre, operating under the Office of the Vice Chancellor, exists to protect the safety, well-being and rights of students and vulnerable members of the university community, providing a centralised structure for reporting abuse, harassment, neglect and exploitation.
‘This event brings together some of our brightest Computer Science students who are developing innovative digital solutions such as LibreHub, SafeGuardian Campus, and SafeVoice — applications designed to help our campus community recognise, document, report and respond to technology-facilitated abuse in safe, confidential and accessible ways’, she said.
Akiyode-Afolabi explained that the proposed solutions address pressing concerns including cyberstalking, online harassment, sextortion, threats and the non-consensual sharing of intimate content — abuses often exacerbated by stigma and distrust in formal reporting systems.
The Director stated that the applications feature secure evidence vaults, anonymous or discreet reporting channels, AI-assisted content analysis, emergency support functions, multi-channel access via mobile applications and USSD, and integration with institutional and external support services.
She emphasised that the tools were designed to prioritise privacy, consent and user control while strengthening existing safeguarding frameworks rather than replacing human support systems.
The innovation challenge was open exclusively to currently enrolled students of accredited tertiary institutions in Lagos State, while participating teams, comprising two to four students with diverse technical skills, were required to submit a detailed three-page proposal outlining their app concept, problem-solving relevance, features, timeline and a breakdown of the ₦1 million grant utilisation.
‘Following a two-phase selection process, written proposal submissions and a live pitch before a high-profile panel of WARDC representatives, technology experts and gender-based violence advocates, the most innovative and feasible solution emerged winner’.
‘The victorious team was awarded a ₦1,000,000 grant to develop, test and refine the TFGBV Response Application over a specified period, with a commitment to collaborate with the university’s IT department and WARDC throughout the development cycle and to present a fully functional app to the university community upon completion.
The Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Princess Mojisola Lasbat Meranda in her keynote speech at the University of Lagos Hackathon Competition in Lagos declared that the revolution against violence would not only be amplified through protests but written in policy and engineered in rooms like this.
Meranda told the young innovators that she stood before them not only as Deputy Speaker, but as a woman and ‘as a mother, expressing deep concern about the reality of technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
She pointed out that while technology has created connection and innovation, it has also opened new battlegrounds where harassment hides behind screens and where abuse is amplified, stressing that the safety of young women in digital spaces can no longer be ignored.
‘Technology has given us connection, speed, and innovation. But it has also created new battlegrounds where harassment hides behind screens, where abuse goes viral, and where silence is too often mistaken for safety’, she said.
The Deputy Speaker while describing technology-facilitated gender-based violence as real, painful and unacceptable, praised the students for building what she termed courage into code.
‘An application that helps young women recognise abuse, report it safely, access support instantly, and trigger discreet institutional response is not just a digital tool; it is a structural intervention. It shifts power. It restores voice. It closes the gap between victimisation and justice’, she stated.
She stressed that law alone could not address the crisis of online abuse, calling for collaboration between governance and innovation, emphasizing that policy must work hand in hand with technology
The Deputy Speaker noted that this generation does not wait for change; but has to build it, and equally urged participants to design with empathy, accountability and confidentiality, as well as commending the University of Lagos for hosting the initiative.
She reaffirmed her commitment to strengthening legislative frameworks that protect women and girls while supporting technology-driven interventions that make those protections practica and accessible.
The Deputy Speaker stated that the future of campus safety will not be defined by fear. It will be defined by bold thinking, ethical tech and zero tolerance for violence, online or offline.
The other personalities at the event include Chairman of Mosan-Okunola Local Government, Hon. Akindele Adunni Opeyemi; Executive Director of WARDC, Dr. Princess Olufemi Kayode; representatives of FIDA Kenya; Media Action and Development Foundation (MADE-F); and senior university officials including heads of departments and directors.
