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Africa
02 March 2019
Nigeria
Population
197.1 million
Estimated prevalence among girls and women aged 15-49
19%
2018 population growth rate
2.61%
Estimated prevalence among girls and women aged 15-19
12%
Type practised
The type of female genital cutting (FGC) in Nigeria varies by ethnicity and region. Type III has a higher prevalence in the northern states. Type I and II are more predominant in the south.
Source: UNFPA-UNICEF
Age
82% of women aged 15-49 underwent FGC before the age of five.
Source: UNFPA-UNICEF, based on DHS 2013
Agent
Traditional practitioners perform the vast majority of FGC in Nigeria (87%). Some FGC is performed by medical practitioners.
Source: UNFPA-UNICEF
Legal status
Illegal in some states (The Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act is a federal act that requires adoption by individual states for anti-FGC law to be harmonised across Nigeria).
National progress
- 2011 – By-law on Abolition of Harmful Traditional Practices (including FGC) was adopted by Ebonyi state
- 2013 – National policy and plan of action on FGC (2013-2017) revised
- 2014 – National technical working group set up to coordinate action on FGC
- 2015 – Enactment of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act; adopted in four states (Ebonyi, Imo, Oyo and Ogun)
UN programme
The UNFPA-UNICEF joint programme on FGC is active in the south and south-west regions. It is supporting the government and mobilising senior political figures and their wives, including the First Lady of Nigeria, to accelerate efforts towards the elimination of the practice.
Phase II of the programme (2014-2017) saw declarations of abandonment of FGC from 1,059 communities.
Source: UNFPA-UNICEF
Enforcement
It would appear that no data on prosecutions is publicly available. This suggests monitoring and collection needs to be improved in order to inform government strategies and programmes.
Human Development Index ranking
157 in 2018 index, based on 2017 data.
Infant mortality rate
69 deaths per 1,000 live births (2015).
Source: 28 Too Many
Maternal mortality rate
814 deaths per 100,000 live births (2015).
Source: 28 Too Many
Trends in FGC prevalence
The practice of FGC in Nigeria is steadily decreasing. The risk of cutting has dropped by almost a half.
Source: UNFPA-UNICEF
Prevalence breakdown
By region
FGC rates are higher in the south and south west of Nigeria. The Osun region has the highest prevalence, at 91-100%.
Source: UNICEF, based on MICS 2016, UNFPA-UNICEF
Resources and Media
GUIDELINES
FGM Model Law
Africa, Asia, Australia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Europe, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Middle East, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Somaliland, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Tanzania, The Gambia, The Maldives, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America (USA)
GUIDELINES
The Guide to Digital Activism
Africa, Asia, Australia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Europe, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Middle East, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Somaliland, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Tanzania, The Gambia, The Maldives, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America (USA)