Owerri — Disturbed by a recent United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report ranking Imo State highest in the Southeast for the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Governor Hope Uzodimma has declared a comprehensive war against the harmful practice.
According to the 2025 UNICEF report, Imo State has a 38% prevalence rate of FGM among women aged 15-49 years and a 9.7% prevalence rate among girls aged 0-14 years. This makes it the highest in the region. For comparison, the prevalence among women aged 15-49 years stands at 20.4% in Ebonyi, 20.3% in Abia, 19% in Enugu, and 13.1% in Anambra. Among girls aged 0-14 years, prevalence rates are 3.7% in Enugu, 3.0% in Abia, 2.1% in Anambra, and 0.29% in Ebonyi.
Speaking at the 2025 International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM event organized by UNICEF in Owerri, Uzodimma called for grassroots efforts to combat the practice.
“I call for an urgent domestication of the war against FGM. This fight should be taken to rural communities, where traditional rulers and stakeholders will play crucial roles in bringing FGM to an end in Imo State,” he said.
The governor urged parents to take responsibility for ending the practice, highlighting that outdated cultural norms must be discarded.
“There is a new digital order in the 21st century that abhors cultures and traditions harmful to mankind. Gatherings like this are essential in uniting our efforts. By next year, when we meet again, Imo must achieve zero tolerance for FGM. We are close, and we must succeed,” he emphasized.
The wife of the governor, Chioma Uzodimma, called for mentorship programs to address both the immediate
and long-term consequences of FGM.
She stressed Imo State’s determination to lead by example in confronting the challenge.
Chioma Uzodimma expressed gratitude to UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for their partnership and called for more holistic engagement around FGM eradication initiatives.
