FGM in Nigeria: A Law on Paper, A Wound in Practice

On May 28, 2015, then-President Goodluck Jonathan signed the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) into law, criminalizing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria. It was a landmark step, celebrated across the globe, and Nigeria was praised for joining the league of countries determined to end this cruel and harmful practice.

Yet, nearly a decade later, the reality is grim: millions of Nigerian women and girls are still subjected to FGM, despite its illegality. This exposes the gap between legislation and lived experiences — a law that exists but is barely enforced.

📊 The Scale of the Problem

• 19.9 million Nigerian women and girls have undergone FGM — the highest number in Africa and third highest globally.

• According to UNICEF (2023):

  • 20% of women aged 15–49 in Nigeria have been cut.

  • 19% of girls aged 0–14 have undergone FGM.

• In states like Osun (76.6%), Ekiti (72.3%), Oyo (66.6%) and Ebonyi (74.2%), the practice is still alarmingly high.

⚖️ The Legal Framework — Progress on Paper

FGM is illegal under the VAPP Act at the federal level. Several states (Osun, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Bayelsa, etc.) also passed their own state laws criminalizing FGM even before 2015.

Punishment under the VAPP Act:

• A person convicted of performing FGM faces a minimum of four years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000, or both.

• Attempting to perform FGM or aiding the practice also attracts penalties.

But despite these legal measures:

• Prosecutions are rare to nonexistent.

• Local enforcement agencies often avoid intervening because FGM is seen as a “cultural matter.”

• Many cases are never reported due to stigma, secrecy, or fear of community backlash.

🌍 Cultural Roots of FGM in Nigeria

FGM is sustained by myths and cultural justifications:

• Purity & Virginity: Some communities claim FGM “controls” women’s sexuality and preserves virginity before marriage.

• Marriageability: Girls are told they must undergo FGM to be “accepted” by husbands.

• Religious Misinterpretations: Although neither Islam nor Christianity prescribes FGM, cultural leaders sometimes present it as a religious obligation.

• Rites of Passage: In some ethnic groups, FGM is tied to initiation ceremonies marking the transition from girlhood to womanhood.

These beliefs have outlived generations, making FGM a cycle passed from grandmothers to mothers, and then to daughters.

💔 The Human Stories

Behind the statistics lie painful personal stories:

• In Imo State (2020), a young girl bled to death after being cut by a traditional circumciser during a secret night ceremony.

• In Osun State, medical doctors revealed that many maternal deaths are linked to complications from FGM — obstructed labor, excessive bleeding, and infections.

• Survivors often suffer chronic pain, urinary problems, sexual dysfunction, PTSD, and lifelong emotional scars.

One survivor, interviewed by Amnesty International, said:

“I was only 8 years old when they cut me. I screamed, but no one helped. They told me it was for my own good, but since then, I feel broken as a woman.”

⚠️ The Current Reality: A Hidden Crisis

While urban centers are seeing declines due to education and advocacy, rural areas remain hotbeds of FGM, carried out quietly at night or disguised as “hospital procedures.”

Shockingly, reports show some nurses and traditional birth attendants perform FGM in exchange for money, undermining the fight against the practice.

✍️ Why FGM Persists Despite the Law

1. Weak enforcement: Law enforcement agencies rarely prioritize FGM cases.

2. Secrecy: Families often perform the act in hiding, making evidence hard to collect.

3. Cultural defiance: Communities see the law as “Western interference.”

4. Economic reasons: Traditional circumcisers rely on FGM as a source of income.

🔮 The Future: What Must Be Done

• Prosecutions must start happening to send a strong deterrent message.

• Community-based advocacy led by traditional and religious leaders is vital.

• Youth and survivors’ voices must be amplified to break the silence.

• Health workers should be monitored and sanctioned if found complicit.

• Massive rural education campaigns in local languages are needed.

📌 Conclusion

Nigeria’s law against FGM is a giant step in principle, but until the government, communities, and civil society unite in action, FGM will remain a hidden wound on Nigeria’s conscience.

Ending it is not just a legal duty — it is a moral responsibility to protect future generations of girls from a practice that destroys bodies, dreams, and lives.

📌 Stone Reporters News Editorial Desk

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