Lagos launches online pre-marital counselling course for religious counsellors
The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has launched an online pre-marital counselling course for religious counsellors aimed at preparing couples for marriage, strengthening families and preventing domestic
The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has launched an online pre-marital counselling course for religious counsellors aimed at preparing couples for marriage, strengthening families and preventing domestic violence in homes.
The event was held at the conference room of the agency at Novel House, Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday.
Unveiling the initiative during a press briefing on Tuesday, the Executive Secretary of DSVA, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, explained that the programme was designed to equip faith leaders and religious counsellors with the skills to support healthy marriages across the state.
Mrs. Vivour-Adeniyi emphasised that domestic violence is not merely a statistic but a societal issue that affects families, women, men and children alike.
“When we speak about domestic violence, we are speaking about families. We are speaking about women who deserve dignity, men who deserve healthy relationships, and children who deserve to grow up in homes defined by love, not fear,” she said.
She noted that studies have shown that traditional pre-marital counselling methods sometimes lack structured frameworks for identifying early warning signs of domestic violence.
“Studies indicate that over 60 per cent of survivors noticed abusive tendencies before marriage but proceeded due to societal pressure, hope for change or lack of proper guidance.
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“Additionally, 80 per cent of survivors in Lagos entered unions through religious ceremonies, reinforcing the importance of faith-based interventions in preventing abuse before marriage even begins,” she added.
She said data from the Invictus Africa Womanity Index 2024 underscores the urgency of the initiative.
According to the report, among survivors or those who know survivors, 71 per cent experienced violence within the home, 18 per cent in schools, eight per cent in workplaces, four per cent in religious environments and three per cent in public spaces.
Vivour-Adeniyi said marriage is considered sacred across generations and faith traditions but noted that many unions today begin without adequate preparation, exposing couples to potential conflicts, miscommunication and even abuse.
She said it was in recognising this gap that the Lagos State Government prioritised prevention and early intervention as cornerstones of its strategy against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
Mrs. Vivour-Adeniyi highlighted the central role religious institutions play in marriage preparation in Nigeria.
She noted that pastors, imams and religious marriage counsellors are often the first point of guidance for couples, providing spiritual counsel, mediation and advice.
She added that while the home remains the most common site of abuse, religious institutions often serve as trusted spaces where individuals seek advice and support.
She said it was in response to this need that the Lagos State Government developed the Religious Pre-Marital Counselling Online Course, building on an existing standardised pre-marital counselling curriculum for marriage registrars.
According to her, the course targets religious marriage counsellors to enable them provide comprehensive guidance that integrates faith, psychological insights, legal awareness and domestic violence prevention frameworks.
The DSVA Executive Secretary said the course is accessible through safeguardingfamilies.org.ng and features ten modules designed by leading experts in family life education, psychology and marriage administration.
She explained that the curriculum blends spiritual guidance with practical relationship skills to ensure counsellors are equipped to promote safe, equitable and respectful marriages.
She said key modules include “Foundations and Meaning of Marriage,” led by Mrs. Folashade Ajayi and Mr. Praise Fowowe, which emphasises marriage as a covenant built on companionship and responsibility.
Another module, “The Science of Connection,” explores emotional intelligence, personality compatibility and communication dynamics using the Love Code framework.
One of the most critical modules, “Safety, Protection and Ethics in Marriage,” facilitated by Pastor Emmanuel Oladele and Imam Saheed, teaches counsellors to identify early warning signs of abuse, address harmful interpretations of religious teachings, promote dignity and justice and support survivors responsibly.
A fourth module focuses on legal and administrative literacy and covers marital rights as well as Lagos State laws protecting individuals from domestic violence.
She said the online course is designed to be flexible and interactive, incorporating self-paced modules, real-life counselling case studies, quizzes and reflection exercises.
According to her, counsellors who complete the programme will receive state certification, while intending couples will be able to provide anonymous feedback on the quality of counselling received.
She said the objectives of the programme include standardising pre-marital counselling across religious institutions, preventing abuse by identifying high-risk relationships early, promoting social stability through healthy marriages and strengthening partnerships between faith communities and government agencies.
Vivour-Adeniyi added that the agency’s clinic also offers specialised services, including Safe Dating Interventions for singles, Pre-Marriage Interventions for intending couples, Early Marriage Interventions for newlyweds and Marriage Clinical Interventions for couples experiencing significant distress.
She said the comprehensive model addresses relationship health both preventively and therapeutically.
Mrs. Vivour-Adeniyi reiterated the Lagos State Government’s zero-tolerance stance on sexual and gender-based violence.
“We will not only respond to violence; we will prevent it. We will work with communities, faith leaders, educators, families and civil society to build a Lagos where homes are safe and relationships are healthy,” she said.
She stressed that preventing domestic violence is a collective responsibility, noting that government, faith institutions and families must collaborate to cultivate a culture where love never becomes violence and homes remain safe.
She said the Religious Pre-Marital Counselling Online Course is now live and accessible to religious counsellors across Lagos State via safeguardingfamilies.org.ng.
She urged faith leaders, marriage counsellors and intending couples to embrace the programme as a critical step towards building safer and stronger homes.
Canon Residentiary of the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Venerable Adelegan, described the initiative as a welcome development, noting that many people today endure marriages when they should be enjoying them.
He said the church has already put in place several training programmes for its clergy and that the new initiative would further strengthen their capacity.
“What we are doing here today is to look for ways of enhancing our capacity so that we can complement what we already have in place as a diocese,” he said.
“We know that no knowledge is wasted. We will cascade whatever we learn from this laudable programme to every Christian in our diocese.”
He added that marriage counselling must address the deeper realities of relationships.
“Our role as the church is to preach the right message and a balanced message. The scripture says the husband is the head of the family, but an earlier verse says couples should submit to one another.
“Submission to one another is fundamental because people often take scripture in isolation. When scriptures are misinterpreted, people run with errors and that is what we see in society today,” he said.
Also speaking, a marriage counsellor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Dr. Emmanuel Oladele, commended the agency for the initiative, noting that it would help religious counsellors improve their capacity.
Dr. Oladele said the pre-marital stage is critical in preparing couples for peaceful and stable homes.
He added that the responsibility of building strong marriages should not be left to the government alone.
According to him, there is a need to develop protective frameworks for couples entering marriage.
He cited the example of polygamous unions, noting that there are no clearly codified laws guiding such arrangements in the country.
He stressed the need to explore ways of strengthening marital institutions to make them safer for those involved.
