By Femi Osinusi
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that Nigeria ranks third globally in the prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), behind only India and Bangladesh.
Denis Onoise, UNICEF’s Child Protection Specialist in Lagos, raised the concern on Wednesday at a two-day dialogue on ending FGM in Benin City, Edo State, organised by the Oyo State Ministry of Information and Orientation in partnership with UNICEF.
Onoise described FGM as a “harmful cultural practice and human rights violation” that strips women of their dignity and imposes severe health and economic costs. He noted that complications from the practice cost about $1.4 billion annually worldwide.
He explained that the practice in Nigeria takes many forms, from cutting with sharp objects to rubbing infants’ genitals with substances to stunt growth — procedures that he said rob girls of full sexual and reproductive rights. He added that contrary to cultural claims, research shows more than half of Nigerian sex workers had undergone FGM, proving it neither prevents promiscuity nor guarantees marriage.
While some communities, such as 15 in Anambra State, have publicly abandoned FGM, Onoise warned that prevalence remains high across the Southwest, Southeast and parts of the South-South. He said accelerated action is needed if Nigeria is to meet the 2030 global target of eliminating the practice.
