Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s governors’ spouses reaffirm a nationwide commitment to eradicate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), describing the practice as a grave human rights violation and a barrier to national development.
The pledge comes as the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum (NGSF) marks the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.
In a statement on Friday, the forum’s chairperson and wife of the Kwara State Governor, Olufolake AbdulRazaq, says thousands of Nigerian women and girls continue to live with lifelong physical and psychological trauma caused by FGM.
“FGM permanently alters the lives of girls, compromising their health, dignity and future,” she says.
AbdulRazaq stresses that the practice increases maternal and newborn health risks, undermines educational attainment and restricts women’s economic potential.
She rejects cultural justifications for the procedure, calling it an act of violence against children.
“This is not culture. It is abuse,” she says.
The forum calls on federal, state and local governments, traditional and religious leaders, parents, educators and health professionals to move beyond awareness campaigns to accountability and enforcement.
According to AbdulRazaq, the NGSF is pushing for stronger implementation of laws banning harmful practices, expanded survivor-centred health and legal services, and community-led prevention strategies.
She also advocates sustained investment in behaviour-change programmes to dismantle harmful norms.
“Communities that protect girls build healthier, stronger societies,” she says.
The forum urges Nigerians to act collectively under the campaign hashtag #Invest2EndFGM, declaring that no girl should suffer harm under the guise of tradition.
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