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By Oluseye Ojo
Stakeholders working to eliminate Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting (FGM/C) in Oyo State have renewed calls for sustained political commitment, stronger enforcement of existing laws and increased investment, warning that the gains recorded over the years could be reversed without deliberate andcoordinated action.
The call was made at the weekend in Ibadan at a media briefing to mark the 2026 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, themed: ‘Towards 2030: No end to FGM without sustained commitment and investment’.
The event was organised by the Centre for Comprehensive Promotion of Reproductive Health (CCPRH), in collaboration with the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), with funding support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The forum, held at the Boardroom of the Mediation Centre, Ministry of Justice, Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi, brought together lawmakers, government officials, development partners, civil society organisations and members of the media.
The Chairman, Oyo State House of Assembly Committee on Women Affairs and Community Development, Dr. Olufunke Comforter Olajide, in her keynote address, described the protection of the girl child as a shared societal responsibility. She condemned FGM as a harmful practice with severe health, psychological and social consequences.
“The welfare, growth and development of our society rest heavily on the wellbeing of every girl child. We must nurture, protect and preserve their future. FGM poses immediate and long-term complications that create psychosocial, emotional and unhealthy imbalances. We must strive for a community where every girl can thrive without fear of being cut,” she stated.
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The Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Appropriation and State Economic Planning, Olasunkanmi Babalola, noted: “We already have laws in place. The problem is their effectiveness. That is why we are introducing post-legislative scrutiny, to review how laws perform after implementation and make necessary improvements.”
Earlier, in his welcome remarks, the Executive Director of CCPRH, Emeritus Professor Oladosu Ojengbede, noted the significant progress recorded in Nigeria, particularly in Oyo State, where FGM prevalence has dropped from 65 per cent to 18 per cent.
He urged the Oyo State Government to institutionalise funding for anti-FGM interventions through dedicated budget lines, while oversight bodies ensure that policies and laws translate into real action at the community level.
The Executive Secretary, Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Muideen Olatunji, described the campaign against FGM as a collective duty requiring increased investment in prevention.
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Akintunde Ayinde, stressed accountability across all levels of healthcare delivery, noting that primary and secondary health facilities must be fully engaged in the fight against FGM.
The Chairman of the NUJ Correspondents Chapel in Oyo State, Mr. Yinka Adeniran, reaffirmed journalists’ commitment to advocacy and public enlightenment against harmful traditional practices.
