Ekiti State First Lady, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, has appealed to political, traditional, and religious leaders, as well as advocacy groups, to intensify efforts to secure the future of female children by protecting them from female genital mutilation.
The governor’s wife made the call in Ado Ekiti on Thursday during an engagement with journalists to commemorate the 2026 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, themed: “2030: No end to FGM without sustained commitment and investment.”
Different bodies and agencies held programmes on February 6, the official date for the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, to highlight the need to end the practice.
Ekiti State is among the states with the highest prevalence of FGM in Nigeria and leads in the Southwest.
The state government has established robust legal frameworks prohibiting FGM, with current laws imposing strict penalties on practitioners and enablers, as contained in the Ekiti State Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) Law, 2019.
The First Lady, noting that the theme for the 2026 edition reflected the insufficiency of past efforts, appealed to leaders across all sectors, saying, “We must feel a collective need so deep that it compels us to act differently. Our laws against FGM must move from paper to practice, our cultural dialogues must move from tacit acceptance to courageous condemnation. Our pulpits and palaces must echo with a unified message of protection.”
Expressing her recommitment to the fight against FGM through her office, her organisation – Widows, Aged, Orphans Hope Support Foundation – and as an educator, she said, “This is our turning point. The sustained commitment and investment must start now, with every resource we have.”
She added that the Gender Unit under her office “will continue to be a fortress of justice, ensuring no case goes unreported, no perpetrator escapes prosecution under our domesticated laws, and every survivor receives not just legal aid, but compassionate support.
“We remain resolute and committed to campaigning against FGM. Let us leave this day not with mere words, but with a binding covenant to remove Ekiti’s name from this and inscribe it instead in the hall of honour as the state that showed Nigeria how to end FGM for good.”
The First Lady also said advocacy campaigns would be intensified in schools and institutions, noting that the fight against FGM aligns with Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s Human Capital Development agenda, which prioritises the wellbeing and dignity of citizens.
She commended the state government’s efforts in reducing FGM prevalence and called on law enforcement agencies to ensure perpetrators are prosecuted as a deterrent.
The Civil Society Organisations’ representative, Mrs. Abimbola Aladejare-Salako, said that despite sustained community-level campaigns, resistance persisted in some quarters.
She noted that over 100 communities had publicly declared a total ban on FGM through a community-led approach adopted by the state.
Aladejare-Salako said that while the majority had embraced the initiative, about 10 per cent remained reluctant. She added that the Ekiti State House of Assembly had enacted a law on FGM and emphasised that “perpetrators should be made to face the full weight of the law,” pledging the commitment of CSOs to continue working with stakeholders in the state to end the practice.
The event was attended by key government officials, including the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Peju Babafemi; the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, who was represented by Mrs. Sola Gbenga-Igotun; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs. Olusola Adeluyi-Femi; and other stakeholders.