At least two-thirds of women in the Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos suffer physical, sexual or psychological abuse in the family because their rights are not protected, Amnesty International said today.
"On a daily basis, Nigerian women are beaten, raped and even murdered by members of their family for supposed transgressions, which can range from not having meals ready on time to visiting family members without their husband's permission," Stephane Mikala, Amnesty's Africa programme deputy director said.
"Tragically, husbands, partners and fathers are responsible for most of the violence against these women - and the government has a duty to protect them," Mr Mikala said.
Many women have died, while many more were disfigured in a form of punishment known locally as "acid bath," the report said. Crimes of rape and other forms of violence in the home are under-reported, while the perpetrators are rarely brought to justice.
Amnesty said violence against women in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation - around 140 million people - is fed by discriminatory laws, a culture of silence and a criminal justice system that provides little protection for women.
"The police and courts often dismiss domestic violence as a family matter and refuse to investigate or press charges," said Ms Itoro Eze-Anaba of the Legal Defence and Assistance Project, who contributed to the study.
"The few rape victims who summon up the courage to take their cases to court face humiliating rules of evidence, patronising and discriminatory attitudes from police and court officials, and little chance of justice," she said.
To tackle the problem, the group asked the Nigerian government to repeal laws that encourage domestic violence and take positive measures to challenge social prejudices against women.