6 February 2026
Lagos, Nigeria
CEMESO Joins Global Observance of International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, Urges Nigeria to End Scourge Affecting Women and Girls
As the world observes the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on 6 February under the theme, Towards 2030: No End to FGM Without Sustained Commitment and Investment, The Executive Director, Centre for Media and Society, (CEMESO), Dr Akin Akingbulu, has called on Nigerian governments, traditional leaders, healthcare professionals, and communities to intensify efforts toward total abandonment.
Nigeria, according to reports, bears 10% of the global FGM burden, with approximately 20 million women and girls scarred by this harmful practice—a violation that inflicts lifelong health complications, psychological trauma, and barriers to bodily autonomy, yet persists amid fragmented progress and emerging threats.
FGM is not just a relic of the past but a lived crisis reshaping families and futures across Nigeria. National data (2024) shows a 14% prevalence among women aged 15-49, with hotspots in some zones rising to between 28% and 50% in certain states. Despite these conditions, beacons of success shine as some states have acted by domesticating the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) 2015, criminalising FGM and providing for survivor protections, among other initiatives. Development projects reaching citizens through sensitisation have boosted reporting, protected thousands of girls, and shifted attitudes via community surveillance and male engagement.
Yet, the path to 2030 demands more than laws on paper. Institutional hurdles—policy knowledge gaps, judicial delays, victim-blaming, and the 2024 VAPP repeal threat—foster impunity, while donor-dependent funding leaves programmes vulnerable. Medicalisation by professionals creates a dangerous paradox, and under-researched impacts like displacement-linked surges in insecurity-hit areas compound risks.
Further speaking to the urgency of this day, Executive Director of CEMESO noted that: “FGM in Nigeria should not be continued as a cultural tradition—it’s a human rights crisis demanding unified action. With 20 million affected and hotspots emerging, we must move beyond projects to budgeted, government-led strategies that engage gatekeepers, train enforcers, and dismantle myths. True abandonment by 2030 requires treating girls’ protection as a national priority, not an afterthought.”
CEMESO urges decisive steps from all stakeholders: governments to enforce VAPP fully, allocate budgets for prevention and survivor care, and counter political pushbacks; traditional and religious leaders to publicly denounce FGM, leveraging their influence as proven in the successes of certain states; healthcare workers and associations to reject medicalisation and report cases ethically; NGOs and media to amplify survivor voices, expose gaps, and build social movements; and communities, men and boys to challenge demand-side norms and support uncut girls.
On this Zero Tolerance Day, Nigeria stands at a crossroads: sustained investment today ensures no FGM tomorrow. By honouring commitments with action, we secure a future of dignity and health for every girl.
Media Contact:
Timothy Bamidele
Programme Manager
Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO)
tbamidele@cemeso.org
+234 805 654 4562
Download Press release here
