Oyo Govt, UNICEF Push for Tougher Legal Action Against Female Genital Mutilation

Oyo Govt, UNICEF Push for Tougher Legal Action Against Female Genital Mutilation

Lagos, Nigeria – September 12, 2025 — The Oyo State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has called for stronger legal enforcement and prosecution of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) cases across Southern Nigeria.

The call was made during a three-day multi-sectoral engagement meeting in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, which brought together law enforcement officials, judicial actors, NGOs, government agencies, and religious leaders to strengthen justice system responses and survivor-centered approaches to tackling FGM.

Speaking at the opening session, the Permanent Secretary of the Oyo State Ministry of Information, Mr. Rotimi Babalola—representing the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade—described the engagement as “apt and timely,” stressing that despite existing laws such as the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) and the Child Rights Law, FGM remains prevalent in Edo, Ekiti, Osun, Ondo, and Oyo States.

He identified weak enforcement, poor reporting, inadequate survivor-centered responses, and fragmented inter-sectoral collaboration as major obstacles to eradicating the harmful practice.

“The goal is clear—to enhance FGM reporting, ensure survivor protection, and strengthen the justice system through improved multi-sectoral collaboration,” Babalola said, while commending UNICEF for convening the workshop.

The UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Mr. Denis Onoise, emphasized the urgency of eliminating the practice, outlining its four types: clitoridectomy, excision, infibulation, and unclassified forms. He lamented that prosecutions remain rare and communities are often reluctant to report cases, despite the widespread adoption of the VAPP Act.

“Our goal is clear. We need to increase our steps ten times beyond what we are doing now to eradicate FGM in our states by 2030,” Onoise said. He also called for stronger budgetary commitments, active involvement of traditional rulers, and more advocacy led by men’s groups.

Dr. Dare Adaramoye, Executive Director of Trailblazer Initiative, echoed the need for urgent reforms, calling for the creation of specialized courts to handle gender-based violence cases, including FGM. He stressed that gaps in reporting and justice allow perpetrators to go unpunished.

“It’s high time the law took its full course and perpetrators are held accountable,” Adaramoye declared.

The workshop is expected to boost knowledge of FGM-related laws, strengthen coordination among law enforcement, health, social welfare, and justice sectors, and promote survivor protection and community-based advocacy against the practice.

Reinforcing the state’s stance, Commissioner Oyelade, in an e-signed statement, urged all stakeholders to unite in safeguarding the rights and dignity of girls and women:

“FGM does not prevent promiscuity. It is not culture. Give your girl child education, not mutilation,” he emphasized.