Tag: Oyo

Stakeholders working to eliminate Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting (FGM/C) in Oyo State have called for sustained commitment, stronger legislation and increased investment to end the practice, warning that gains recorded over the years could be reversed without deliberate action.

The call was made on Friday in Ibadan during a media briefing to mark 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, with funding support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The briefing brought together government officials, development partners, civil society organisations and members of the media to review progress and reinforce commitments toward the total elimination of the practice.

The event themed: “Towards 2030: No end to FGM without sustained commitment and investment”, held at the Boardroom, Mediation Centre, Ministry of Justice, Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

Delivering the keynote address, the Chairman of the Oyo State House of Assembly Committee on Women Affairs and Community Development, Dr. Olufunke Comforter Olajide, described the protection of the girl child as a collective responsibility.

Olajide in condemning FGM, described it as a harmful practice with severe health and psychological consequences.

She said, “The welfare, growth, and development of our society rest heavily on the wellbeing of every girl child. We must nurture, protect, and preserve their future

“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.”

The lawmaker identified legislative oversight, budgetary commitment, and policy continuity as critical pillars in ending the practice.

“We must strengthen laws such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law and ensure enforcement. Relevant 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,” she added.

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

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

Earlier In his welcome remarks, the Executive Director, CCPRH, Emeritus Professor Oladosu Ojengbede said the global theme for 2026 highlights the need for consistent financing and political will.

Prof. Ojengbede highlighted the progress made in reducing FGM prevalence in Nigeria, particularly in Oyo State, where the prevalence has declined from 65 percent to 18 percent. 

Read Also: Oyo stakeholders call for stronger action to end female genital mutilation

However, he emphasized that despite this progress, nearly one in five girls and women in Oyo State still experiences FGM, and many more remain at risk. He attributed the decline in prevalence to advocacy, legislation, community engagement, and survivor leadership.

He called on the Oyo state government to institutionalize funding for anti-FGM work through dedicated budget lines and for oversight bodies to ensure that policies and laws translate into action at the community level. 

He also urged the media to continue playing a critical role in shaping public discourse and accountability, while communities and traditional leaders are encouraged to remain at the forefront of norm change.

Professor Ojengbede said, “The Central message of 2026: commitment must be sustained, and financed. This year’s theme reminds us that commitment without investment is not enough.

“Sustained investment means: predictable financing for prevention, protection, and response; capacity building for health workers, justice actors, and social service providers; community-led approaches that shift norms over time; strong data systems to track progress and guide decisions; enforcement of laws, alongside survivor-centred support. Crucially, it also means domestic resource mobilisation, not reliance on short-term donor projects.”

He added, “Oyo state has demonstrated leadership in reducing FGM prevalence. The task before us now is to protect these gains and accelerate progress towards zero.

“We therefore call on: the Executive and Legislature to institutionalise funding for anti-FGM work through dedicated budget lines across relevant ministries and agencies; Oversight bodies to ensure that policies and laws translate into action at community level.

“The media to continue playing its critical role in shaping public discourse and accountability

Communities and traditional leaders to remain at the forefront of norm change.

“History will judge us not by our declarations, but by whether today’s girls grow up free from harm.

As we look towards 2030, let us remember this:

There will be no end to FGM without sustained commitment and sustained investment.

Let Oyo state continue to lead, not only in reducing prevalence, but in showing what is possible when political will, community action, and smart investment come together.”

The Executive Secretary, Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Olatunji Muideen Babatunde, called for collective responsibility and increased investment in prevention efforts.

“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 stated.

Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Akintunde Ayinde, stressed accountability across all levels of healthcare delivery, saying, “stakeholders must be accountable. From primary healthcare centres to secondary facilities, everyone must be involved in the fight against FGM.”

Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, NUJ, Oyo State Council, Mr. Yinka Adeniran, reaffirmed the media’s role in advocacy and public enlightenment against harmful traditional practices.

He said, “The media will continue to play a frontline role in advocacy, public sensitisation, and holding institutions accountable in the collective effort to end FGM and other harmful practices.”

Representing the Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Olajumoke Rofiat-Yusuf highlighted legal challenges faced by survivors seeking justice.

“Though the VAPP Law has been domesticated in Oyo State, victims still face challenges. We must encourage people to speak up and support stakeholders in upholding justice,” she said.

The Chairman of Ona-Ara Local Government area of Oyo State, Dr. Temitope Kolapo, has presented comprehensive scorecard of his administration.

He attributed pace of development in the council to steady support and leadership example of Governor Seyi Makinde.

Speaking in Ibadan during a stakeholders’ meeting at the local government secretariat, Akanran, Kolapo thanked Makinde for giving him opportunity to serve at the grassroots, noting that the administration’s interventions across key sectors were guided by the Six-Point tagged “N.E.W.E.R.A Agenda”.

According to the council boss, under the pillar of Nourishing Ona-Ara Heritage, the council has undertaken reconstruction and remodelling of the local government secretariat, while construction of the Ona-Ara Traditional Council Hall is nearing completion. 

He also cited visits to charity homes, including a school for the handicapped, during his first 100 days in office, where food items and household materials were distributed.

On education, Kolapo said the council reconstructed the Ona-Ara Local Education Office, describing it as one of the best in the state.

He said his administration also distributed megaphones to primary schools, donated generator to Amuloko Community Grammar School and provided free JAMB forms to 500 students from public schools. 

“Scholarships were awarded to selected students of Ona-Ara origin in tertiary institutions, while 10 schools across the local government benefitted from construction and renovation projects through state support, CSDA and NGO interventions.

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“Other initiatives included free transportation and entertainment for NYSC members, education sensitisation campaign on radio stations and the distribution of exercise books.”

In area of welfare and social services, the chairman listed payment of medical bills for accident victims, support for a maternity centre, empowerment programmes for widows, women and persons living with disabilities, and the distribution of 100 free POS machines to youths and women entrepreneurs with CAC registration fully paid. 

He also highlighted extensive public health interventions, including cholera prevention campaigns, mass chlorination of water sources, WASH facilities in health centres, over 15,000 home-based toilets leading to Open Defecation Free status across all wards by UNICEF, and the drilling of multiple boreholes and solar-powered water projects across various communities.

Kolapo said the local government has also recorded progress in economic growth through creation of an official website, inauguration of IGR-boosting and database committees, improved revenue mechanisms, and the commissioning of Adeagbo Heritage Limited, described as the first international-standard bakery in the area. 

He added that investment-focused sensitisation jingles have attracted increased NGO presence to the council.

On infrastructure, he noted sustained bush clearing at major entrances, rehabilitation and grading of more than 100 kilometres of roads, construction of the Ajia interchange, dualisation of the Olorunsogo–Ariyo road with extension towards Odeyale, and the renovation of Amuloko Junction Road. 

“Seven bridges have been reconstructed, with the Onisebe Bridge nearing commissioning, rivers are regularly dredged to prevent flooding, streetlights have been installed across all 11 wards, a new magistrate court building has been completed, an old dumpsite cleared, environmental and traffic by-laws initiated, and construction of an ultra-modern registry and multi-purpose hall is ongoing.

“In agriculture, the chairman said disputes among farmers’ associations have been resolved, farmlands allocated to investors and cooperatives, while access to soft loans have also been facilitated.”

He disclosed personal investment in poultry and maize farming, empowerment of over 100 farmers with inputs, and the hosting of the Ona-Ara New Era Food Day to provide low-cost food items.

The council boss attributed the sector-by-sector development in the council to what stakeholders described as the “GSM effects,” referencing some major state projects in the LG such as the Ibadan Airport upgrade, Oremeji to Airport Road, Olorunsogo–Ariyo Road and the Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road as legacies that can not be erased for generations to come. 

He said about 90 percent of the circular road corridor and parts of the airport upgrade fall within Ona-Ara while describing Makinde as having transcended beyond political leadership to become a role model and mentor, adding that the governor’s prioritisation of Ona-Ara has accelerated cross-sector development. 

He also disclosed that the governor has directed local governments to recruit vigilante personnel to strengthen grassroots security, while efforts are being intensified to tackle land grabbing. 

He cautioned against ethnic profiling in addressing security challenges and urged community leaders to strengthen neighbourhood watch structures.

Stakeholders including the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers in Ona-Ara, Comrade Titilolu Ibukunolu Sunday, CDC Chairman Ambassador Adebayo Olawale Adekunle, the Babaloja and Iyaloja of Ona-Ara, and other community leaders also commended Makinde for giving priority to the council despite its relatively low revenue base compared to main city Councils.

They reaffirmed support for his vision for Oyo State, pledging continued unity and unflinching support for him as the next election cycle beckons.

Speaking on behalf of traditional rulers, the Chairman of the Ona-Ara Traditional Council, Oba Kamorudeen Adebowale thanked governor Makinde for unprecedented development in road infrastructure and agriculture, socioeconomic improvement and the improved well-being of residents in the council.

The Oyo State government has announced plans to partner with key stakeholders to deploy technology as a strategic tool in combating gender-based violence (GBV) across the state.

The announcement coincided with the unveiling of the Oyo State FGM Action Plan, aimed at eradicating female genital mutilation (FGM) by 2030.

Developed by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion with support from the Centre for Comprehensive Promotion of Reproductive Health (CCPRH), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and other partners, the Action Plan was presented during a multi-sectoral symposium held as part of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

This year’s theme, “Leveraging Technology to End Gender-Based Violence,” brought together civil society organizations, NGOs, community leaders, traditional rulers, security operatives, government officials, tech innovators, media representatives, and development partners.

In her keynote address, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Toyin Balogun, highlighted the significant reduction in FGM prevalence in Oyo State compared to other parts of Nigeria. She noted, however, that the practice persists due to cultural beliefs, misinformation, and social pressures, emphasizing the need to harness digital tools to eradicate it.

“Digital platforms can redefine advocacy, information sharing, and community engagement,” Balogun said. “Social media amplifies the voices of survivors and activists, while digital storytelling exposes the consequences of FGM. Data-driven dashboards enable precise tracking and targeted interventions.”

She added that effective use of technology requires integration into policy actions, expansion of digital literacy among women and girls, and strengthened online reporting systems.

The Commissioner urged stakeholders to make practical commitments, empowering youth as digital champions and engaging traditional leaders to promote behavioral change and shift community norms.

She assured that the Ministry would continue collaborating with organizations like UNFPA and CCPRH to ensure digital innovation remains central to anti-FGM strategies.

Uzoma Ayodeji, Southwest Gender Analyst at UNFPA, described the development as encouraging, noting that Oyo State’s FGM prevalence has dropped from 68 percent to less than 20 percent. “This gives us hope that our efforts are not in vain. With continued collaboration, we are optimistic that prevalence will reach zero by 2030,” he said.

Prof. Oladosu Ojengbede, Director of CCPRH, added that the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV serves as a nationwide advocacy platform, offering Oyo State the opportunity to strengthen and update its action plan while addressing remaining pockets where FGM persists.

The launch of the Action Plan marks a major milestone in Oyo State’s commitment to using technology and collaborative strategies to eliminate FGM and promote women’s safety and empowerment.

He said, “We stakeholders have come together to draft, adjust, cost, modify, and present the Oyo State FGM Action Plan aimed at putting an end to the practice. This year’s theme emphasizes synergy, and we are using it to develop a digital roadmap that will unite partners and enhance the use of technology as an effective tool in eliminating FGM.”

In her goodwill remark, the Assistant Controller-General (ACG), Nigerian Correctional Service, Oyo State Command, Abimbola Ogunyemi, urged parents to remain vigilant and avoid entrusting their female children to anyone without proper caution, stressing the importance of listening to children when they speak up.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Dr. Mofoluwake Ibitoye, described the gathering as timely and strategic, especially in view of the year’s theme.

Speaking on the importance of the 16 Days of Activism and the integration of technology in accelerating FGM abandonment, she said, “The incorporation of digital tools offers innovative avenues for prevention, reporting, and intervention. When we act collectively, we contribute to a safer and healthier Oyo State.”

The President of the Council of Traditional Baales, Ibadanland, Baale Oladapo Wasiu Atilola, in his remarks, reiterated the need to eradicate FGM by 2030.

The community leader who emphasized the severe physical and emotional consequences of FGM, including chronic pain, infections, and psychological trauma, urged traditional leaders to champion the message that FGM is not a cultural necessity and to promote alternative rites of passage that celebrate girls’ growth without cutting.