The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has launched a Religious Pre-Marital Counselling Course aimed at equipping religious marriage counsellors with practical skills to guide couples toward healthy and sustainable marriages.
The free online training programme is designed for counsellors within religious institutions who provide guidance to intending couples before marriage.
According to the agency, the initiative seeks to strengthen the quality of marital counselling provided in churches, mosques and other faith-based institutions while also addressing early warning signs of domestic abuse and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
The DSVA noted that strong and stable marriages often begin with the right preparation and guidance, stressing that premarital counselling plays a critical role in shaping healthy family relationships and preventing conflict that could escalate into abuse.
“The course is structured to provide religious marriage counsellors with practical tools for building healthy marriages, strengthening communication between couples, managing conflict effectively and recognising early warning signs of abuse,” the agency said.
The training is facilitated by seasoned family life and relationship experts including Praise Fowowe, Emmanuel Temilade Oladele, Adekunle Omotayo Saheed and Folashade Ajayi.
According to DSVA, the facilitators bring extensive experience in family life education, counselling, marriage development and safeguarding of vulnerable individuals.
Participants in the programme will receive guidance on core areas such as effective communication, emotional intelligence in relationships, conflict resolution strategies and the identification of behavioural patterns that could signal potential abuse in marriages.
The agency explained that the training also emphasises preventive approaches to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence by empowering counsellors with the knowledge needed to support couples and intervene early when warning signs emerge.
The course, which is delivered entirely online, allows participants to complete the training at their convenience.
“The programme is completely free and accessible online to ensure that religious marriage counsellors across communities can benefit from the knowledge and tools needed to guide couples effectively,” the agency stated.
Interested participants can enrol through the dedicated platform at www.safeguardingfamilies.org.ng
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