AXA Mansard mobilises over 1,000 employees to fight child abuse, gender-based violence

Nike Popoola

Nigeria’s leading insurance company, AXA Mansard, has intensified its advocacy against child abuse and gender-based violence by mobilising more than 1,000 employee volunteers across Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt to raise awareness on the prevention, identification and reporting of domestic and sexual violence.

A statement from the company today said the initiative formed part of the 2026 AXA Week for Good, the company’s global employee volunteering programme under AXA Hearts in Action, through which employees across AXA markets devote their time, resources and expertise to social causes aimed at strengthening communities and improving lives.

This year’s campaign, themed “Being a Child Shouldn’t Be a Risk,” focused on addressing the vulnerability of children and women to violence, particularly in places where they should feel safest.

As part of the campaign, volunteers embarked on door-to-door engagements, sensitisation campaigns, educational conversations and advocacy activities designed to help communities recognise signs of abuse, understand the importance of speaking up and embrace collective responsibility in protecting vulnerable groups.

Speaking on the initiative, Chief Executive Officer of AXA Mansard Health, Tope Adeniyi, said the campaign reflects the company’s belief that responsible businesses must go beyond providing services to actively support the wellbeing of the communities in which they operate.

According to him, many children continue to live under the threat of violence, with numerous cases remaining hidden due to silence and stigma.

“AXA Week for Good is a global expression of who we are as a Group, but in Nigeria, it must also speak to the realities around us. As a company built around protection, we believe we have a responsibility not only to insure lives and livelihoods, but also to support conversations and actions that help make society safer, more informed and more humane,” he said.

Adeniyi noted that the scale of participation by employees demonstrated the company’s culture of compassion and social responsibility.

“What is especially meaningful is that our employees chose to show up in large numbers for this cause. That says something important about our culture. It says we are building an organisation where people care deeply, not only about performance, but also about impact,” he added.

Also speaking, Chief Marketing Officer of AXA Mansard, Adebola Surakat, said the campaign was designed to align AXA’s global purpose with the urgent need to tackle abuse and violence in Nigeria.

“At AXA, protection is not an abstract idea. It is about helping people live with greater dignity, confidence and safety. In Nigeria today, where abuse and violence continue to threaten the wellbeing and future of many children and women, this type of effort is very important,” she said.

Surakat explained that the 2026 campaign builds on the momentum of the company’s 2025 initiative, which was held under the theme, “Being a Girl Shouldn’t Be a Risk.”

“We are intentionally sustaining this conversation because social change requires consistency. We want people to see AXA Mansard not only as a company that provides insurance and healthcare access, but as an organisation that listens, understands the society around it and is willing to act where it can make a difference,” she said.

The week-long activities culminated in a commemorative walk across participating locations to amplify the message that ending abuse and violence requires vigilance, empathy and collective action from families, institutions, employers and communities.

According to the company, more than 90 per cent of AXA Mansard employees participated in volunteering initiatives in 2025, contributing over 3,000 volunteer hours to social causes. The increased turnout this year, it said, further reinforces its belief that meaningful change begins when organisations empower their people to serve with purpose.

AXA Mansard added that its focus in Nigeria will continue to centre on initiatives that address pressing social challenges and deliver lasting value to communities.