By Muhammad Amaan
The Nigeria’s Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), describing it as a fundamental violation of human rights and a major impediment to sustainable development.
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, made this declaration at a joint ministerial press briefing on Thursday in Abuja, in commemoration of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM.
While highlighting Nigeria’s progress in addressing FGM, the minister stressed the need for urgent, collective, and sustained action to protect millions of girls and women, particularly in communities where the practice continues.
She reiterated the government’s commitment, under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, to strengthening laws, scaling up community interventions, and promoting behavioural and cultural change.
Imaan Ibrahim noted that Nigeria remained one of the most affected countries globally, with 19.9 million women and girls impacted, according to the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).
According to her, FGM is not a cultural or religious obligation but a severe violation of human rights, leading to health complications, psychological trauma, and even death.
The minister added that FGM continued to hinder the country’s progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including gender equality, quality education, and economic growth.
She called on all stakeholders, including civil society, religious institutions, the private sector, and the media, to play an active role in the fight against FGM.
“FGM is not a private matter; it is a public health crisis and a development challenge. The time for action is now,” she said.
She also pledged to collaborate with the Minister of Justice to strengthen law enforcement and accountability mechanisms, while working with relevant ministries to invest in education and economic empowerment for women and girls.
The minister urged Nigerians to join the #UNITE2ENDFGM movement, emphasising that no girl should be subjected to such a harmful practice.
“Together, let us ensure that every girl in Nigeria is free to live, free to dream, and free to thrive,” she said.
As part of the International Day celebration, the minister announced an advocacy walk to the National Assembly to push for stronger legal frameworks and increased budgetary allocations for anti-FGM programmes.
Additionally, she stated that a high-level engagement in Jigawa State, a known FGM hotspot, would mobilise traditional and religious leaders, policymakers, and grassroots organisations to abandon the harmful practice.
