Oyo State government have renewed calls for sustained political commitment, stronger legislation, and increased investment to eliminate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), warning that gains recorded over the years could be reversed without deliberate and coordinated action.

The call was made in Ibadan during a media briefing to commemorate the 2026 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. The event was organised by the Centre for Comprehensive Promotion of Reproductive Health (CCPRH) in collaboration with the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Delivering the keynote address, Dr Olufunke Olajide, Chairman of the Oyo State House of Assembly Committee on Women Affairs and Community Development, described the protection of the girl child as a collective responsibility that requires sustained action across all sectors. “The welfare, growth, and development of our society rest heavily on the well-being of every girl child. We must nurture, protect, and preserve their future,” she said.

Olajide condemned FGM as a harmful traditional practice with severe health, psychological, and social consequences, noting that it exposes victims to lifelong trauma. “FGM poses immediate and long-term complications that create psychosocial, emotional, and unhealthy imbalances. We must strive for a community where every girl can thrive without fear of being cut,” she said.

She identified legislative oversight, budgetary commitment, and policy continuity as critical pillars for ending the practice, stressing that existing laws must be strengthened and enforced.

“We must strengthen laws such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law and ensure enforcement. Ministries and agencies must create budget lines for anti-FGM programmes, while policies must be sustained across administrations if we are to meet the 2030 target,” Olajide added.

Also speaking, Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Appropriation and State Economic Planning, Hon. Olasunkanmi Babalola, said Oyo State already has relevant laws but needs effective implementation.

“The problem is not the absence of laws but their effectiveness. We are introducing post-legislative scrutiny to assess how laws perform after implementation and make necessary improvements,” he said.

The Executive Secretary of the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Olatunji Babatunde, called for increased investment in prevention and collective responsibility. “This is a call to duty for everyone. We must invest more and ensure all stakeholders wake up to their responsibilities in protecting girls from this harmful practice,” he said.

Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr Akintunde Ayinde, stressed accountability across all levels of healthcare delivery, while NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel Chairman, Mr Yinka Adeniran, reaffirmed the media’s role in advocacy and public enlightenment.

Earlier, Emeritus Prof. Oladosu Ojengbede of CCPRH noted that Nigeria’s FGM prevalence has declined to 14 per cent, while Oyo State recorded a drop from about 65 per cent to 18 per cent, attributing the progress to sustained government and community partnerships.