In communities once marked by silence on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a growing chorus of voices is now singing a new song. A song of protection, awareness, and collective resolve.
Ajagba, Apaara, Imeleke, Apinni and Oke Apo, five communities in Oyo East Local Government Area have declared a public declaration to end the practice of FGM.
This milestone is more than a symbolic pledge. It represents the culmination of months of dialogue, education and community ownership, shifting a harmful tradition toward a shared future focused on the health and dignity of girls.
Understanding FGM, The Stakes of Change
According to the World Health Organization, Female Genital Mutilation encompasses procedures that partially or totally remove external female genitalia for non-medical reasons, a practice linked to severe long term health consequences, including childbirth complications, excessive bleeding, psychological trauma and sexual dysfunction.
From Tradition to Transformation: A Community Blueprint
The path to public abandonment was deliberate and structured, guided by a five stage process designed to build local ownership and sustainable change.
Community Entry and Consent
Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) appointed to each local government first met traditional rulers and opinion leaders to secure their consent. These early conversations ensured that the intervention was rooted in local context and respected community structures.
Training FGM Champions
Community leaders identified respected residents — men and women, to be trained as FGM Champions. These trained advocates became trusted voices within their communities, educating neighbours on the health risks and legal implications of FGM.
“Before, we didn’t understand the harm. Now, we help our people ask the right questions,” said one trained FGM Champion from Apaaara.
Inclusive Dialogue
Experts facilitated open dialogues that included men, women, youth and artisans. These sessions tackled long held myths and addressed fears and cultural assumptions around the practice. The approach recognised that ending FGM would require engaging entire communities, not just individual households.
Consensus Building
Traditional rulers, community leaders and security agencies came together for structured meetings that clearly explained Nigeria’s legal framework against FGM. By the end of these sessions, community leaders vowed that anyone arrested for practising FGM should be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the law, signalling a shift from tacit tolerance to legal accountability.
Public Declaration
The process culminated in public ceremonies where communities openly renounced FGM. The Alajagba of Ajagba, Oba Olusegun Ogunrinde and the Alaapara of Apaara, Baale Tijani Ajeigbe Traditional received certificates of public abandonment, while billboards in English and Yoruba were erected as constant reminders that FGM is unacceptable and unlawful.
Voices of Change and Evidence of Progress
At the official declaration, Mr Emmanuel Yelotan, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the Centre for Comprehensive Promotion of Reproductive Health, described the event as a critical turning point.
“We expect similar declarations from five communities in each of seven local government areas in 2025before year-end. “This process builds not just awareness but accountability. With sustained advocacy, we believe Oyo State can reach zero prevalence of FGM by 2030.”
Data from the National Demographic and Health Survey
The prevalence of FGM in Oyo State declined from 31.1 per cent in 2018 to 18 per cent between 2023 and 2024. Stakeholders say this downward trend reflects the impact of structured community engagement, legal education and sustained grassroots mobilisation.
Health, Dignity and Legal Reinforcement
Mrs Iyabo Akintayo from Oyo State Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Inclusion, urged parents to prioritise the wellbeing of their daughters.
“We are safeguarding their health, dignity, and future, there is no place for harmful practices when Nigeria is building its human capital.”
Dr Lateefat Dairo, Oyo State Amirah of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), highlighted the organisation’s extensive role in the campaign, citing trained women at the grassroots.
“These are women who speak the language of their homes, their influence has made change credible and sustainable.”
Beyond Commitment, Towards Accountability
The declaration is backed by community surveillance teams tasked with ongoing sensitisation and reporting of any attempted practice of FGM. Local health workers, more than 150 trained across the state and 150 healthcare facilities now routinely report FGM-related cases to authorities, reinforcing the link between community education and legal compliance.
Traditional circumcisers, once central to the practice, have also been engaged through empowerment initiatives that position them as stakeholders in the transition away from FGM.
Overcoming Resistance Together
Not all communities accepted the intervention immediately. Some residents were initially sceptical, rooted in cultural narratives that normalised the practice. Yet, through sustained engagement, many of those early sceptics have become advocates. One village elder said “What I thought was tradition, I now see as harm.”
Concerns once linked FGM to ritual practices and spiritual beliefs
Consensus meetings, backed by partners including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), helped debunk these myths and reposition FGM as a human rights and health issue subject to legal sanctions.
By embedding change in local leadership, inclusive dialogue, legal awareness and collaborative monitoring, Oyo East communities are charting a new path: one that balances respect for tradition with the imperative to protect human rights.
By Olaolu Fawole, Volunteer Editor
