"Most 15-24 year old women in Nigeria think that it is reasonable for a husband to beat his wife if she burns his food, refuse him sex or go out without his permission", said Amina Salihu, the author of the British Council report, warning that "this is a very serious statistics we should pay attention to as we work across generations."
"Not only do they experience violence, but in many cases and many countries women find violence justified" said Ana Maria Munoz, a co-author of the World Bank report. "So is the case of Nigeria, about 50% or more women think that it is okay to be a victim of physical violence by their partners for reasons like just disagreeing with him, burn his food or leaving his house without permission."
Amina Salihu said her group had expected 60-70 year olds to be thinking like that be study stressing that "we have our work cut out for us before we lose another generation."
She said gender problem in Nigeria is beyond the North-South dichotomy as many women lack access to education in the north while they are physically abused in the south.
"Up to one third of the Nigerian women reported that they have been subjected to some form of violence. We heard mention about rape in the morning. One in five has experienced physical violence. Nearly half of the married women in parts of southern Nigeria have experienced physical violence."
"Nigeria ranks 118 out of 134 countries on the gender equality index. And only 15% of women have a bank account in Nigeria of any kind, corporate account, individual account, savings account, current account, only 15%."
Watch Ana Maria Munoz presenting part of the World Development Report she co-authored:
Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who noted that female bankers don't progress in the job like their male counterparts, said the CBN has gotten the commitment from banks to make 30% of their management staff women by 2014.
Sanusi said he had appointed seven women directors since coming on board against the four that had reached the directorate level before he took over the leadership of the bank.
Click here to Watch Amina Salihu making her presentation