Na serious gbege dey for Oyo State as stakeholders gather to talk about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). E no be small matter! Dem all dey shout say if we no shine our eye, the small progress wey don dey happen fit waka go back.
Na Friday wey be February 6, 2026, dem hold media briefing to mark International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM. E happen for Ibadan, organized by Centre for Comprehensive Promotion of Reproductive Health (CCPRH). Dem gather from government side, civil society, and even journalists, all with one mission – to end FGM for good, my people!
The chairman of Oyo State House of Assembly Committee on Women Affairs, Dr. Olufunke Comforter Olajide, don talk am as e be. She say the girl child protection na something we all sabi do together. She dey gree say FGM na serious wahala wey fit bring health and psychological damage wey no be small. If we no help the girl child, how the society go grow? Na question wey we all gats ask.
Dr. Olajide don reason say, to truly fight this FGM matter, we gots sharpen our laws, make dem dey work. She dey suggest say we gats budget money for anti-FGM projects and ensure say future administrations no go forget am. Na why she dey call for strong enforcement of existing laws, especially the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law.
Hon. Olasunkanmi Babalola wey dey chair House Committee on Finance, come yan say e no be say we no get laws, na the implementation follow waka. Him talk say dem go start post-legislative scrutiny to check how the laws dey perform after dem don sign am into law. Na good step be this o!
The Executive Director of CCPRH, Emeritus Professor Oladosu Ojengbede, come chook him mouth join as e welcome everybody. Him don highlight wetin don happen; FGM prevalence for Oyo don drop from 65% to 18% thanks to advocacy and community work. But still, na so bad as one in five girls still dey face this wahala.
Prof. Ojengbede dey call for proper funding for anti-FGM work, no be only for mouth. He talk say we gats get better data to track progress and make sure say laws fit turn to real action for communities. If we no put our money where our mouth dey, we for no go fit fight this wahala well.
All these jara, him don ask government to put money for anti-FGM programmes. And media no go slack, dem gats continue to dey educate people on this matter. Traditional leaders too need to step up their game, because na dem dey shape society’s norms.
For this conversation to no die down, all stakeholders gats wake up. Na call to duty for everybody as Dr. Olatunji Muideen Babatunde, Executive Secretary of Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, don talk. Him dey stress say we all gats pull weight to support the girl child.
As we dey prepare for 2030, we gats remember say without strong commitment and investment, FGM no go fit finish. We must take action today, so tomorrow go fit better for our girls.
Finally, the chairman of Correspondents’ Chapel, Mr. Yinka Adeniran, don promise say media go play their role well. Dem go continue to dey advocate and ensure say everyone for our society dey educated on this harmful practice. Oyo State, we gats do this together!
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