•TITI VIVOUR-ADENIYI, Exe. Sec. LAGOS State Domestic Violence Agency
Titilola Vivour Adeniyi is the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency. This legal practitioner has had an experience that spans over a decade working with the Lagos State Government in different capacities.
She was instrumental in setting up of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT), the first of its kind in Nigeria to drive a coordinated approach to tackle Domestic and Sexual Violence issues in 2014. This multi-agency model has since been replicated in over 10 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory.
She also works closely with reputable development partners such as British Council, World Bank, and the United Nations as a consultant and training facilitator.
She is the founder of the Lola Vivour-Adeniyi Foundation (Merchant of Hope), which is focused on the empowerment of women through the provision of business grants and providing scholarships, and educational materials for underprivileged children. She serves as a mentor to over fifty young women in various capacities.
With appropriate laws in place and recorded cases of domestic violence getting up to 140, and sexual violence 5 cases per month, she has her job cut out for her to ensure a coordinated response to sexual and gender-based violence in Lagos State.
Some years ago she took a pay cut to continue serving the public. When asked why she did so, she said: “In view of the fact that I was no longer serving as a Personal Assistant to the Attorney General of Lagos State after his tenure, to stay on and continue my work at the DSVRT I would be a Project Officer and at that time, Project Officers who were contract staff were paid N30,000. So with that, I don’t think I’ve got many options than to continue my work”.
A few days ago, she launched her book, titled: Living For A Higher Purposed and at that event, she got talking with City People Reporter, BENPRINCE EZEH (08068599879), on how her agency has been able to provide services to over 4,300 survivals of domestic and sexual violence in Lagos State.
Below are the excerpts from the interview.
What inspired you to write the book?
I’ve been on this journey since 2014. I just felt, I was actually advised by my father, and my mentors to chronicle my experience, perhaps in form of a memoir, because a lot was happening and we were doing a lot but I wasn’t able to relax and enjoy the moment because we were always going to the next thing.
So doing this was actually very therapeutic for me because it helped me to pen down my thoughts and what we’ve been able to do and also celebrate many professionals behind the scenes who are ensuring that we do achieve many things. So what we’re trying to do basically in the book is to eulogise these people, these individuals, and tell our stories in a way that it can easily be understood and hopefully other states who are desirous of putting in similar systems will be encouraged to do so.
There was a part of it that said you dropped from receiving 130,000 to just 30,000 and you accepted it like that and still working. How were you able to crawl through that period, even before your agency became recognised and taken over by the Lagos state government?
I think it’s favour of God, passion, commitment and just really believing in what we’re doing. It just shows that anything is possible if there’s a genuine interest in it, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity that has been given to me to do this, it’s not really about the money, people that work in this place, it’s not money that motivates or inspire us, its passion, its commitment, it’s the shared joy seeing the person metamorphose from being a victim into a survivor and that is very rewarding for us.
Should we be expecting a sequel to this?
I hope so, my publisher said that “once you write, most times you write again” So I do hope, what I’m doing now is completely different. I’m privileged to serve as the CEO of Lagos State Agency, so this is a different experience am going through at the moment, and hopefully I will write again.
Talking about Sexual Gender Based Violence, what are the success stories, and how many victims have gotten justice?
This year, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, DSVA has provided services to over 4,300 survivors of domestic and sexual violence. We are gradually breaking that culture of silence, encouraging people to speak up and speak out. Lagos State government has secured over 30 convictions this year alone and we will continue to see that justice is done.
This is your memoir, should we be expecting something on wholly sexual violence unbearable
I hope so, and other things that I will be able to do in the future.
What is the take home for the people, the public who might be reading this book, what exactly is the message you’re passing to them?
If you really want to make an impact, please get involved. Don’t do it from the outside, come inside, join public service, and come into the public service, that’s where the real impact occurs.
