Ibadan, Nigeria | September 24, 2025
The Oyo State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has intensified efforts to eradicate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) through renewed legal action and coordinated community engagement.
At a recent multi-sectoral workshop in Ibadan, stakeholders including government officials, judiciary representatives, law enforcement agencies, civil society groups, and religious leaders agreed on the need for stronger prosecution of offenders and improved protection for survivors.
The state also inaugurated a steering committee and a technical working group mandated to produce, within three months, a strategic roadmap for implementing the Oyo State Action Plan on the eradication of FGM between 2025 and 2030.
Statistics show that Oyo State remains among the states with high prevalence of FGM, with more than half of women aged 15 to 49 having undergone the practice, while recent studies suggest a worrying increase among younger girls.
Officials described FGM as a grave violation of human rights, stressing its damaging effects on the physical, psychological, and reproductive health of women and girls.
They urged stronger enforcement of existing laws, grassroots awareness campaigns, and survivor-centered interventions to eliminate the harmful practice in line with the 2030 target.
