AREAi Legal Mapping · Subnational policy analysis

Nigeria VAPP & Child Rights Legal Domestication Atlas

State-by-state status of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 and the Child Rights Act 2003 across 36 states and the FCT. Every status carries its instrument, year, confidence grade and the evidence behind it. Implementation fields are open slots for field verification.

Evidence cut-off 21 Oct 2026Units 36 states + FCTConstitutional basis CFRN 1999 s.4(7) & s.12

Domestication map

Tiles keep each state in its approximate geographic position. Select a state to open its legal dossier. In “Both” mode the upper-left triangle shows VAPP and the lower-right shows CRA.

Tile cartogram, not to scale. FC = Federal Capital Territory, where both Acts apply directly as federal law.

Legal instrument ledger

The full register behind the map. Sort by clicking a header; click a row to open its dossier above.

StateZone VAPP statusVAPP instrumentYear CRA statusCRA instrumentYearEvidence

Legislative tracker

Dated milestones that move a state's status. Each entry links to its source in the evidence register.

Mapping architecture

How each record is built, graded and kept current, so the atlas stays defensible in front of funders, legislators and courts.

Five-layer status model

  • Bill stage: introduced, 1st/2nd reading, committee, passed by House of Assembly.
  • Enactment: governor's assent, law title and year.
  • Gazettement: gazette number and date.
  • Amendment: departures from the federal text (e.g. culture or Sharia-compatibility edits).
  • Implementation: committee, costed action plan, family court, SARC, budget line.

Status vocabulary

  • Domesticated: state law adopting the Act, assented.
  • Equivalent law: a differently titled state law covering the same ground (e.g. Child Protection Law).
  • Domesticated with amendments: adopted with material modifications.
  • Disputed: credible sources conflict; held for primary-document check.
  • Not domesticated: no assented law found.

Confidence grading

  • High: two or more independent sources, at least one from 2025–26 or a primary document (gazette, assent record).
  • Medium: one credible source, or aggregate counts consistent with the state's inclusion.
  • Low: sources conflict or only secondary or social-media reporting exists.

Verification protocol

  • Request certified true copy and gazette from each State Ministry of Justice.
  • Cross-check with State House of Assembly votes and proceedings.
  • Reconcile with Partners West Africa VAPP Tracker, NAPTIP and UNICEF CRA counts.
  • Re-grade quarterly; log every change as a tracker event.

Record schema







  
Evidence register

  
Sources cited by ID throughout the atlas. Where they disagree, the conflict is shown rather than resolved silently.