Ekiti State First Lady, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, has called on political, traditional, and religious leaders, as well as advocacy groups, to intensify efforts to protect female children from female genital mutilation and secure their future.
She made the appeal in Ado Ekiti during an engagement with journalists to commemorate the 2026 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. The theme for this year is 2030 No end to FGM without sustained commitment and investment.
Ekiti is listed among states with the highest prevalence of FGM in Nigeria, despite existing legal frameworks prohibiting the practice. The Ekiti State Gender Based Violence Prohibition Law 2019 prescribes strict penalties for practitioners and enablers.
Oyebanji said the theme reflected the insufficiency of past efforts and urged stakeholders to move from passive concern to decisive action. She stressed that laws against FGM must move from paper to practice, while cultural and religious institutions must speak with one voice against the harmful practice.
Reaffirming her commitment through her office and her foundation Widows Aged Orphans Hope Support Foundation, she described the moment as a turning point. She said sustained commitment and investment must begin immediately, adding that the Gender Unit under her office would ensure that cases are reported, perpetrators prosecuted, and survivors supported with both legal aid and compassion.
She also pledged to intensify advocacy campaigns in schools and institutions, aligning the fight against FGM with Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s Human Capital Development agenda.
Civil society representative Mrs Abimbola Aladejare Salako said over 100 communities had publicly declared a ban on FGM, though about 10 percent still resist the campaign. She urged strict enforcement of the law to deter offenders.
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