Background Emergency situations, including epidemics, increase incidence of violence against women, especially intimate partner violence (IPV). This paper describes specific scenarios of IPV reported by women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria to provide insight for policy and programmatic efforts. Methods This paper draws on seven de-identified case reports from organisations serving women experiencing IPV as well as media coverage of IPV cases in Nigeria, between April and May, 2020. Results In most cases, reports identified IPV that was occurring prior to the lockdown, but increased in severity or involved new types of violence during the lockdown. The case scenarios included descriptions of many forms of IPV commonly reported, including physical, economic, psychological and sexual violence, often concurrently. Several women also reported threats of being thrown out of their homes by perpetrators, which threatens women’s ability to protect themselves from exposure to COVID-19, but could also leave women stranded with no access to transportation, social services, or other resources during the lockdown. Several women also reported IPV that involved custody of children, as well as IPV that disrupted women’s income generation. IPV was also reported in relation to economic stressors associated with the lockdown. Reports highlight how the lockdown disrupted women’s social support, hindering accessibility of formal and informal sources of help. Conclusion The lockdowns in Nigeria may have inadvertently placed women already experiencing partner violence at risk for experiencing more severe violence, new challenges to cope with violent experiences, and other forms of violence, including violence that used the lockdown as a way to threaten women’s security and ability to protect themselves from the virus. Hence, there is need for innovative approaches to support victims, with emphasis on ways in which perpetrators of IPV may be using the threat of COVID-19 to further gain power and control over partners.

Background: The peculiarity in Nigerians’ demographic, socio-economic and cultural pattern necessitated the need to explore potential COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. This study investigated the determinants of willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria. Methods: An online cross-sectional study among the general population in Nigeria. Data were collected using an electronic questionnaire.  A total of 368 individuals participated in the research. The outcome variable was willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccine coded as “Yes=1 and No=0.”  Basic socio-demographic information of participants and other information related to COVID-19 were obtained. Stata MP 14 was used for the statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics were presented, test of association were carried out using chi square and a binary logistic regression was used to assess the determinants of willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccine. All analyses were performed at 5% level of significance. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 29.4 + 9.65 years.  Majority of the study participants were female (58.9%), Yoruba (74.7%) and dwellers of urban area (68.5%). Also, 85.6% have attained tertiary level of education. Two-fifth (40.5%) of respondent reported their willingness to take the COVID-19 if made available. Majority (69.8%) of those that are willing to take the vaccine would prefer a live attenuated form and 39.6% would prefer the vaccine administered intramuscularly. Age group≥40 years (AOR: 5.20, CI: 1.02- 26.41), currently married (AOR: 2.81, CI: 1.05 – 7.53) and susceptibility to COVID 19 infection (AOR: 2.52, CI: 1.21 – 5.26) were associated with likelihood of willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion: Despite the fact that majority were at risk of COVID-19 infection, willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine was low among Nigerians. Level of maturity in terms of age and marriage as well as susceptibility to COVID-19 infection increased the likelihood of accepting COVID-19 infection. In Furtherance, younger ones, unmarried and non-susceptible individual may require more efforts tailored towards enrichment of understanding about the importance of COVID-19 vaccine in other to improve the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria.

Background and objective: Oncology nursing is a recognized nursing specialty globally but it is yet to be a stand-alone specialty in any accredited degree awarding tertiary institution in Nigeria as at the time of this write up. In most of the hospitals in Nigeria, non-specialist oncology nurses who learn on the job care for the cancer patients. Hence, the urgent need to conduct this study. The aim of this study was to study the state of oncology nursing training and practice in Nigeria.Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was used to assess 171 nurses’ socio-demographic data, nature of their oncology training, and competency level using a semi-structured questionnaire.Results: Only 3 (1.8%) of the respondents claimed they had a degree in oncology nursing and 89.9% had no formal training in oncology. Few of the respondents (13.5%) rated themselves as experts in oncology nursing practise. Majority of the respondents see the state of oncology nursing practise as very poor with the major challenge being none availability of oncology nursing training institution.Conclusions and implication for study: With the increasing incidence of cancer in Nigeria and rise in number of new cases daily, there is need for an established programme to train health care professionals especially nurses to combat its increasing rate. There is need for provision of oncology nurse specialist training to improve level of education and skills in order to offer appropriate care to clients living with cancer and improve patient’s outcome of survival ultimately enhancing their quality of life.

Introduction: This study explored the motivations for and relationship dynamics that may promote girls' vulnerability for intimate partner violence and sources of support reported in unhealthy relationships among girls residing in low-income communities in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods: Focus group discussions (n = 14; 122 girls) were conducted among girls aged 15-19 years, who reported having been in a relationship lasting at least 3 months. Girls were recruited from schools and worksites where partner violence has been reported in high proportions. Data were analysed using conceptual content analyses and independently coded by two researchers. Results: Adolescent girls reported keeping their relationships secret from their parents. While girls reported that sometimes relationships were out of love, relationships were also often motivated by girls' inancial need. The inancial and secretive nature of these relationships appeared to place girls at risk for intimate partner violence, with sexual coercion, resulting in multiple adverse social and health outcomes, including sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy. Girls reported that leaving an abusive relationship is especially dificult when girls rely inancially, were sexually involved, pregnant, or have had a child with the male partner. Friends/peers, rather than girls' family, were often the source of support for intimate partner violence. Conclusion: Early identiication of unhealthy relationships and supporting girls to be inancially independent appear to be critical to reduce vulnerability to violence. Peer-based interventions may be most appropriate, given that girls' friends, rather than parents, were most often the source of support for intimate partner violence and other relationship challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc in Nigeria, with more cases and deaths reported every day. However, vaccine development and uptake are believed to aid the fight against this outbreak.  We investigated vaccine uptake, unmet need for vaccine, and reported side effects among the populace. An online cross-sectional study was conducted among 417 adults from the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria using the online data collection tool, Kobo-toolbox. We obtained information on socio-demographic characteristics, vaccine uptake, unmet need, and related side effects of COVID-19 vaccine. Descriptive analysis and binary logistic regression were done using Stata MP 16. The mean age of the respondents was 32.1 ± 10.7 years. About half (49.9%) were below 30 years of age. Majority were females (63.1%), Christians (89.2%), and urban dwellers (74.6%). Majority (89.2%) of respondents know that vaccines are beneficial to health, and 41.2% have received the COVD-19 vaccine. Unmet need for COVID-19 vaccine was 74.3% and herd immunity was estimated as 93.1%. Respondents working in the private sector (AOR=0.32, 95% CI=0.11-0.90), and who said COVID-19 vaccine is not beneficial to health (AOR=0.04, 95% CI=0.01-0.29) were less likely to receive COVID-19 vaccine, while those who have tested for COVID-19 (AOR=3.93, 95%CI=1.98-7.84) have a higher likelihood of receiving COVID-19 vaccine. Continuous awareness for COVID-19 vaccine is needed. The government needs to persistently assure citizens of the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. Also, this study recommends that the administration of a highly effective vaccine would result in achievable herd immunity and curb the transmission of COVID-19 virus.