On 6 February 2026, the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) focuses on “Towards 2030: No End to FGM Without Sustained Commitment and Investment”. This year’s theme emphasizes the point that the end of FGM will not be achieved with good intentions alone, but with the establishment of funding, governance, and protection provision in local settings. The scale of the problem of FGM is still critical globally, with over 230 million girls and women currently living with the practice. This is important to policymakers because the progress made over the last decade may be negated by the sheer rate of population growth. In addition, keeping things the same could erase the progress Nigeria has made over the last ten years.
Legislation matters, yet legal text does not equal protection
A clear example of this distinction between a legal framework and a protective system is evident in Nigeria. Nigeria has a legal framework on FGM in the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015. However, the legal framework protecting girls from FGM depends on how well it has been domesticated at the state level in a federal system (Orchid Project). Where the legal framework is inconsistent at the state level, the protection a girl receives depends on her geographic location, not on her rights. Progress in public tracking has made this even more visible.
According to the Partners West Africa Nigeria VAPP Tracker, there is variation in domestication, with some jurisdictions pending or incomplete, and others using alternative or partial models rather than full replication of VAPP. It is important to note that, although the passage of the legislation is a critical milestone, its success ultimately depends on the critical success factors of domestication and implementation. Where there are no or limited reporting pathways, investigation, prosecution, and protection, informal mechanisms are likely to dominate, and all that has been achieved in terms of deterrence is likely to unravel.
Data gaps are part of the harm
A serious strategy for ending FGM in Nigeria requires performance-based implementation. Currently, data on prosecution, conviction, service delivery, and referral are not readily available in Nigeria. Therefore, it is difficult to determine whether the law is working as intended and what targeted gaps interventions should be designed to meet.
The lack of accessible data should be treated as an urgent priority for policymakers and state and non-state actors. Without data, it is difficult for local, state, and national governments to determine whether the law is working. By 2030, privacy-preserving data should be prioritised in governments’ investment commitments as a deliverable, with standardised indicators and safety guarantees.
Awareness campaigns must be matched with safeguarding capacity
From implementing the Enriching Lives through Empowerment (ELiTE) project for Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) funded by IrishAid, we have learned firsthand the power of grassroots-led awareness raising for FGM. However, communication is only valuable when it connects people to safe, credible action paths. Without this, the outcome could be damaging. Fear could increase, and secrecy could become more entrenched. Several policy reports that focus on the roles of governments, states, and international/transnational organisations in anti-FGM initiatives across various states in Nigeria. These initiatives involve community engagement and the development of service-sector and referral systems. This aligns with the broader concept that social norm interventions are most effective when services are in place.
This piece’s core argument aligns with the view that the concept and implications of future programmes are that funding should never be allocated to awareness initiatives alone. Funding should be allocated to referral systems, trained case management and supervision for front-line responders, and survivor-centred pathways at the local level.
Turning “commitment and investment” into auditable deliverables
The 2026 theme is meaningful from an operational perspective only if it is delivered as a small set of auditable items with funding commitments at the state, national and international levels.
A practical approach to ensure an end to FGM in 2030 should comprise the following:
- Update state laws to ensure effective enforcement, including investigation, prosecution, and the protection of survivors.
- State and local actors must collaborate to create data systems that track cases in a routine manner while protecting privacy and minimising risks to survivors.
- Readiness of health and social welfare services for survivors of FGM.
This strategy will eliminate the incentive to overclaim, as all stakeholders will be engaged at all levels. Therefore, if the goal is to eradicate FGM by 2030, this year should be used to determine if it is funded, measured, and enforced.
