By Oluseye Ojo
The Executive Director, Onelife Initiative, Mr. ‘Sola Fagorusi, said the non-governmental orgamisation, with support from its partner YouthHub Africa through the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, decided to use football to involve young men in the campaign against the menace.
He made the disclosure in his closing remarks at the grand finale of the two-day football competition, which featured four teams from the Department of Civil Engineering at The Polytechnic, Ibadan held in the last week of November, 2023.
According to him, “The focus on males at the event was because they will grow up to be fathers and heads of their homes. So, they should be able to speak up against FGM in their homes. The overarching message from the competition is to kick out FGM from Oyo State.”
Fagorusi explained that the NGO and its partners were creating awareness and sensitising young men to get involved in the campaign to end FGM in the state because the programme was part of activities to commemorate this year’s 16 Days of Activism.
Muyiwa Oladoja, who represented the Executive Secretary of the Oyo State Agency for Youth Development, commended Onelife Initiative and YouthHub Africa for their dedication in complementing the Oyo State government’s initiatives to educate youth, stakeholders, and the community at large about the imperative need to eradicate FGM.
The President, Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers Students Affiliate (NICESA), Christopher Abimbola, in his welcome address was grateful for the partnership and implored all present to advocate against the practice as it should not be allowed in society any longer.
On his part, the Director, Child Welfare, Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Gbemileke Ojerinde noted the timeliness of the football initiative and acknowledged previous collaborative efforts between the state government, development partners, and stakeholders to eradicate the practice, despite persistent occurrences.