Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Ebonyi State Government has declared zero tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, with the wife of the Governor, Chief Mrs. Mary-Maudline Nwifuru, warning that perpetrators will face the full weight of the law as the state intensifies its campaign to eradicate the harmful traditional practice. Speaking at the Ebonyi State Women's Leadership Summit on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, organised by the United Nations Population Fund in collaboration with the Better Health for Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced Persons Foundation at the Women Development Centre in Abakaliki, the First Lady described FGM as a grave violation of human rights that subjects young girls to severe physical pain, lifelong emotional trauma and serious health complications.
The high-level summit, which took place on Thursday, July 23, 2026, brought together key stakeholders including wives of traditional rulers, women religious leaders, civil society organisations, FGM survivors and other critical stakeholders committed to ending the practice. Mrs. Nwifuru, who is also the Founder of the BERWO Foundation, reaffirmed her commitment to eradicating the practice, declaring that the harmful tradition has no place in modern society and no medical benefit whatsoever. She announced that the state government would sustain aggressive grassroots sensitisation campaigns, with all local government chairpersons required to produce jingles in their local dialects for distribution across social media platforms, while awareness campaigns would be taken to rural communities, schools, churches, markets and other public places.
"Our youths should know that FGM is a complete 'no-no'," Mrs. Nwifuru declared. "We are going to scale up awareness across all corners of the state. All local government chairpersons will produce jingles in their local dialects and distribute them across social media platforms. I will also continue speaking on radio stations about the dangers of FGM. If, after all these efforts, anyone is found guilty, I will hold the local government chairpersons responsible." Her warning sent a clear signal that the government would not tolerate the practice and that local authorities would be held accountable for failing to prevent it within their jurisdictions.
The First Lady also urged members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to strengthen legislation and advocacy against FGM, stressing that every girl deserves to grow up in a safe and protective environment free from harmful traditional practices. She emphasised that the campaign against FGM was not an attack on culture but a collective effort to preserve the values of love, compassion, dignity and respect for human life while protecting the future of every girl child. "Behind the words 'Female Genital Mutilation' are real people, our daughters, our sisters, our mothers, our neighbours," she said. "This summit is not about condemning our culture. It is about choosing a healthier and safer future for our girls while preserving the values that truly define us."
The summit received strong backing from international partners. The World Health Organisation representative, Mr. Douglas Ogbueli, described FGM as a serious public health concern capable of causing lifelong physical and psychological trauma, urging participants to sustain grassroots advocacy to eliminate the practice. "Female genital mutilation leads to lifelong trauma. I encourage everyone here to spread this message to their various communities so that together we can eliminate this practice once and for all," he said. A representative of the United Nations Population Fund also pledged the organisation's continued support for the state, stating that UNFPA remained committed to partnering with Ebonyi State until Female Genital Mutilation was completely eradicated.
The summit also provided an opportunity to highlight significant progress made in the fight against FGM in Ebonyi State. The World Health Organisation had earlier reported that the prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation in Ebonyi had dropped from 74 per cent in 2024 to 20.4 per cent in 2026, a remarkable achievement that reflects the impact of sustained advocacy and community engagement. According to data cited from the 2024 National Demographic and Health Survey, statewide prevalence among women aged 15 to 49 dropped from 53.2 per cent in 2018 to 38.5 per cent, while youth prevalence among girls aged 0 to 14 decreased from 5.1 per cent in 2018 to 4.0 per cent. Additionally, 84 communities across seven local government areas have officially declared a public abandonment of FGM between 2019 and 2026.
Despite the notable progress, Mrs. Nwifuru cautioned against complacency and announced the establishment of the Women's Community Activation Network, a grassroots initiative designed to empower local champions across all 13 Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State to lead continuous sensitisation efforts. The network will drive sustained advocacy at the grassroots, with anti-FGM campaigns extending to communities and becoming a key feature of the forthcoming August Women's Meetings across the state. The First Lady also highlighted BERWO's multidisciplinary support framework for affected women and girls, which integrates specialised doctors providing reconstructive surgery for survivors, as well as lawyers and security teams trained to enforce human rights and prosecute offenders under existing state laws.
The summit concluded with the presentation of an official communiqué by the Coordinator of the Gender-Based Violence Taskforce in Ebonyi State, Faithvin Nwanchor, in which stakeholders, survivors and community leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enforcing the Ebonyi State Violence Against Persons Law, 2018 (as amended in 2022), ensuring strict legal consequences for perpetrators and safeguarding the rights and dignity of every girl child in the state. The communiqué outlined key commitments aligned with the Ebonyi State FGM Implementation Plan (2025–2030) and the VAPP Law, including accelerating formal declarations of FGM abandonment across all remaining communities, mainstreaming anti-FGM campaigns in schools, religious centres, markets and town halls, enforcing strict penalties for perpetrators and enablers, and expanding access to healthcare, psychological support and legal protection for survivors.
The declaration of zero tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation in Ebonyi State represents a significant milestone in the fight against harmful traditional practices in Nigeria. With strong political will from the state government, sustained support from international partners and growing community awareness, the state is on track to achieve its target of zero FGM prevalence by 2027. As the First Lady declared, the campaign is not about condemning culture but about protecting the future of every girl child. The message from Ebonyi is clear: FGM has no place in modern society, and those who continue to perpetuate the practice will face the full consequences of the law.
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