As part of activities to commemorate the 2023 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, a non-governmental organisation, Onelife Initiative, is creating awareness and sensitising young men to get involved in the campaign to End Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Oyo State.
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Onelife Initiative, in collaboration with its partner, YouthHub Africa, through the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, is creating the awareness using football competition.
The two-day football competition which featured four teams from the Department of Civil Engineering at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, was held on the 24th and 25th of November, 2023.
Speaking at the event, the representative of the Executive Secretary, Oyo State Agency for Youth Development, Muyiwa Oladoja, complimented Onelife Initiative and YouthHub Africa for their dedication in complementing the Oyo State Government’s initiatives to educate youth, stakeholders, and the community at large about the imperative need to eradicate FGM.
In his address of welcome, the President, Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers Students Affiliate (NICESA), Christopher Abimbola, expressed gratitude for the partnership and implored all present to advocate against FGM, saying it should no longer be allowed in society.
On his part, the Director, Child Welfare, Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Gbemileke Ojerinde, noted the timeliness of the football initiative and acknowledged previous collaborative efforts between the state government, development partners, and stakeholders to eradicate the practice, despite persistent occurrences.
The first match of the football competition was between Nice-SA FC and Civil Boys FC, with Nice-SA FC emerging victorious by one goal, and the second match featured Construction FC and Steel FC, which ended in a penalty shootout with Steel FC emerging winner.
The final match between Nice-SA FC and Steel FC was goalless and the winner was decided on penalty grounds, with Nice-SA FC emerging victorious, winning the N50,000 cash prize, while the first and second runners up went away with N30,000 and N20,000 respectively.
The Deputy Director, Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs, Igein Ibironke, and Muyiwa Oladoja from the Youth Agency, presented medals to the teams, while Igein shared the personal experience of how she escaped being cut as a child.
In his closing remarks, the Executive Director of Onelife Initiative, ‘Sola Fagorusi, reiterated that the focus on males at the event was because since they would grow up to be fathers and heads of homes, men should be able to speak up against FGM in their homes then and now — with the overarching message from the competition being to kick out FGM from Oyo State.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) refers to all procedures involving the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. Type 1, called clitoridectomy, which involves the partial or total removal of the clitoris, is most practised in Oyo State and the Southwestern part of the country.
