The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF says with an estimated 19.9 million survivors, Nigeria accounts for the third-highest number of women and girls who have undergone Female Genital Mutilation, FGM, globally.
UNICEF in a statement in commemoration of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, warned of rising cases of female genital mutilation, FGM, in Nigeria, especially among between aged 0 and 14 years. According to the global organization, it had become a source of worry that the “rates have risen from 16.9 per cent in 2013 to 19.2 percent in 2018.”
The statement also quoted the UNICEF Nigeria Representative Peter Hawkins, as saying Millions of girls are being robbed of their childhoods, health, education, and aspirations every day by harmful practices such as FGM.
UNICEF, while noting the disparity of the practice across Nigeria, explained that state prevalence ranges from 62 percent in Imo to less than one percent in Adamawa and Gombe. The prevalence of the practice is highest in the South East, 35 percent and South West 30 percent and lowest in the North East 6 percent).
However the organisation is initiating a community-led movement to eliminate FGM in five Nigerian states where it is highly prevalent: Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Osun and Oyo. Abou 3 million girls and women would have undergone FGM in these States in the last five years.
