The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has warned residents against misconceptions about sexual consent, stressing that silence, fear or lack of resistance should never be interpreted as agreement.
The agency, in a Thursday post on its X handle, @Lagosdsva, explained consent using the FRIES principles: Freely Given, Reversible, Informed, Enthusiastic and Specific.
According to the DSVA, genuine consent must be given voluntarily and without pressure, threats, manipulation or coercion. It can also be withdrawn at any point, including after sexual activity has already started.
The agency further explained that a person must understand what they are agreeing to before consent can be considered informed. Consent obtained through deception, it said, does not meet that standard.
It also stressed that consent should reflect a willing and enthusiastic decision, rather than an action motivated by fear, pressure or a desire to escape an uncomfortable situation.
Consent, the agency added, is also specific to the activity agreed to. Agreeing to one form of sexual activity does not automatically amount to permission for another.
The DSVA particularly highlighted the legal position regarding children, stating that a child cannot consent to sexual intercourse.
It cited the Nigerian Child Rights Act of 2003 and the Lagos State Child’s Rights Law of 2007, both of which define a child as anyone below the age of 18.
The agency said the laws prohibit sexual intercourse with a child, regardless of claims by an offender that they believed the child was older or that the child had agreed to the sexual activity.
According to the DSVA, conviction for the offence carries a sentence of life imprisonment.
The agency also cautioned against treating consent as a one-time permission. It said consent must remain present throughout an encounter and cannot be assumed from silence or the absence of physical resistance.
Its warning comes as part of efforts to promote greater public understanding of sexual boundaries and protection against abuse.
The DSVA urged residents to remember the FRIES principles and use them to better understand personal boundaries while creating an environment that protects children from sexual abuse.
