The Wife of the Governor of Abia State, Mrs. Priscilla Chidinma Otti, has empowered five survivors of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) with cash support and called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to establish stronger mechanisms to permanently outlaw and eradicate the practice nationwide.
Mrs. Otti made the call during activities marking the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, held in February at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia. She described FGM as a gross violation of the fundamental human rights of girls and women, stressing that the practice has no medical, cultural, or religious justification.
According to her, FGM exposes victims to severe pain, trauma, infections, childbirth complications, and lifelong psychological damage.
“Female genital mutilation does not make childbirth safer, nor is it prescribed by any religion. Culture is meant to protect life and dignity. Any practice that harms girls and violates their bodily autonomy is not culture; it is violence,” Mrs. Otti stated.
She emphasized that Abia State has taken a firm legal position against the practice, noting that the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) has been fully domesticated in the state.
“The law is clear in Abia State. I wish to state unequivocally that Female Genital Mutilation is a criminal offence under our state law,” she said.
However, the First Lady stressed that legislation alone is insufficient to end the practice, calling for effective implementation, sustained public education, improved reporting mechanisms, and strict enforcement of existing laws.
Mrs. Otti also urged traditional rulers, faith-based organisations, community leaders, and other critical stakeholders to take ownership of the fight against FGM through sustained advocacy, commitment, and long-term investment.
Speaking at the event, the Abia State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Maureen Aghukwa, described FGM as a harmful practice that inflicts deep emotional trauma on victims and, in some cases, leads to death. Represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Affairs, Mrs. Chinenye Nwaka, the commissioner noted that despite global and national interventions, millions of girls across the world are still subjected to the practice.
She reaffirmed the Abia State Government’s commitment to protecting the rights of girls and women and ensuring that Female Genital Mutilation is completely eradicated by 2030.
In their separate remarks, Mrs. Onyinyechi Nwosu of the Child Protection Network, Naomi Chinyere of Caritas Nigeria, Barrister Chidimma Alozie of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and the guest lecturer, Dr. Ngozi Okechukwu, unanimously agreed that legislation alone cannot end FGM.
They called for intensified awareness campaigns, community engagement, and sustained investments aimed at permanently eliminating the harmful practice.
