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Female genital mutilation is on the rise in Africa: disturbing new trends are driving up the numbers

Editorial
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Female genital mutilation is on the rise in Africa: disturbing new trends are driving up the numbers

By Tamsin Bradley, University of Portsmouth

THIRTEEN-year-old Salamatu Jalloh had her whole future to look forward to. But in January 2023, her lifeless body was found wrapped in a pink and blue shroud on an earthen floor in a village in north-west Sierra Leone.

Salamatu and two other girls bled to death after participating in a secret Bondo society initiation into womanhood. The ceremony, which lasts for several weeks, began with a sense of excitement and anticipation – a rare occasion in this rural community to celebrate girls. But at its core was a violent act: the cutting and removal of the girls’ external genitalia.

Their tragic deaths were highlighted in the latest Unicef report on female genital mutilation. According to the UN agency 230 million girls and women alive today have survived female genital mutilation, but live with the devastating consequences.

Most procedures happen in African countries, accounting for 144 million cases.

Despite campaigns to end this practice there are 30 million more women and girls globally who have undergone this form of torture than eight years ago.

As an applied social anthropologist who has researched women and violence for many years I’ve been studying this form of abuse, and the reasons it persists, for over two decades. Some countries are making strides in reducing the practice. In others, advancements have stalled or even been reversed due to changing ideologies as well as the fallout from instability and conflict.

Unicef calculates the rate of decline would need to be 27 times faster to eliminate this abuse by 2030.

Understanding the trends is the starting point for ending female genital mutilation. Some of the new trends are alarming. They include a backlash by conservatives against efforts to stop female genital mutilation; increasing numbers of “secret procedures” which are difficult to keep track of; and shifts towards what are termed “less severe” forms. Increased “medicalisation” of the procedure by health care professionals is another disturbing trend.

Reasons given for FGM

The types of cutting vary. In its most severe form, infibulation, the cut edges of the labia are sewn together to achieve a smoothness considered to be beautiful. The vagina must be reopened for sexual intercourse or childbirth.

Every year, over half a million girls globally undergo this extreme form of vaginal mutilation.

Most of those who support female genital mutilation believe it maintains cleanliness, increases a girl’s chances of marriage, protects her virginity and discourages “female promiscuity”, thus preserving the family honour. They also believe it improves fertility and prevents stillbirths.Most supporters of the practice do so for religious or cultural reasons.

In fact female genital mutilation has no health benefits, and it harms girls and women in many ways. It carries the risk of immediate complications like shock, haemorrhage, tetanus, sepsis, urine retention, ulceration of the genital region and injury to adjacent genital tissue. Long-term consequences include increased risk of maternal morbidity, recurrent bladder and urinary tract infection, cysts, infertility and adverse psychological and sexual consequences.

FGM in African countries

Countries with the highest levels of female genital mutilation are Somalia (99%), Guinea (95%) and Djibouti (90%).

In Kenya, over the last half century a remarkable transformation has occurred. Female genital mutilation was once widespread, but most of the country has now abandoned the practice.

Yet among the Somali community, concentrated in the north-eastern province of Kenya, there has been little change, and the practice remains nearly universal.

Somalia and Sudan face the challenge of addressing widespread female genital mutilation amid conflict and population growth.

Ethiopia has consistently made progress, but climate shocks, disease and food insecurity make it harder to maintain these successes.

The fragility of progress cannot be overstated.

Conservative backlashes and compliant doctors

There are some alarming trends that make eliminating this practice even more difficult.

  • Backlash by conservatives: In The Gambia religious leaders have demanded that legislators revoke a 2015 law banning female genital mutilation. They reacted after three women in the northern village of Bakadagi were found guilty of mutilating eight infant girls in 2023, the first major conviction under the law. The World Health Organization has warned that a repeal in The Gambia could encourage other countries to disregard their duty to protect these rights.
  • Secret procedures: In countries where the practice is banned it has often gone underground. Girls are also being cut at a younger age to avoid detection. This makes accurate rates of female genital mutilation harder to capture.
  • Shifts towards “less severe” forms: One of these is sunnah, the removal of the clitoris. In countries such as Sudan and Somalia this is considered by many to be unharmful as the vagina is not sewn up. Proponents argue that this does not count as female genital mutilation.
  • “Medicalised” procedures, performed by trained people like doctors, nurses and midwives: Some people consider these legitimate as they are thought to be safer. More of these are being performed in public or private clinics, chemists, homes, or elsewhere.
  • Destabilisation and eroded rights: Around 4 in 10 girls and women who have undergone female genital mutilation live in countries affected by conflict or fragility. Ethiopia, Nigeria and Sudan account for the largest numbers of girls and women who have undergone female genital mutilation in conflict-affected countries.

Armed conflict and the devastating impact of climate change have led to a sudden deepening of poverty and mass displacement, driving people from their land and livelihoods. Families are plunged into deep poverty and studies have shown that the rights of girls slip away when families are faced with stark choices.

The commodification of girls through marriage practices such as bride price means that when families are stripped of all other resources daughters become an object to be sold. Female genital mutilation, as a marker of a girl’s purity, becomes essential.

Progress to eliminate this horrific form of abuse needs to be a lot faster. Understanding the shifting trends is a start.The Conversation

Tamsin Bradley, Professor of International Development Studies, University of Portsmouth

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Nigeria police arrest father for posting daughter’s nudes

Ehime ALEX
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Nigeria police arrest father for posting daughter’s nudes

THE Nigeria Police Force (NPF) said it had arrested a 28-year-old father for allegedly uploading his four-year-old daughter’s nude images and videos on social media.

The NPF disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, May 12, by its public relations officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

It said it received public outcry in response to disturbing images and videos involving a four-year-old child with the Instagram handle @officialsarah_ig, circulating on social media.

Although the NPF did not disclose the name of the father of the girl, it condemned the action and adjudged the content portraying the young child in inappropriate poses, akin to adult content.

It said, “Prima facie investigations indicate the involvement of the child’s father, who has been apprehended by the police at the Auchi Divisional Police Headquarters, Edo State Police Command.

“Every necessary measure is being implemented to ensure that justice is swiftly served.”

Father of the four-year-old girl
Father of the four-year-old girl; Source: NPF

The Force also said that as the investigation unfolded, it was imperative to establish proactive measures to guide and counsel parents, to prevent the proliferation of such anomalies in our society.

“In light of the above, the Force emphasises the importance of implementing support systems for parents and guardians to protect the safety and well-being of their children.

“It is crucial for caregivers to also prioritise the security of minors and seek assistance or guidance when required,” the NPF urged, reiterating its commitment to safeguarding children and upholding the law.

Checks by The ICIR show that the contents, on the Instagram handle @officialsarah_ig of one Suleman Sarah who has about 8,626 followers as of the time of filing this report, might have been deleted as the page appeared to have been removed.

However, the contents were still on some some social media accounts as of the time of filing this report.

A report by Daily Trust said the man, 28, allegedly took his four-year-old daughter to a hotel, removed her clothes, took her picture and uploaded it on his Instagram handle, @officialsarah_ig, where it raised controversy.

New tax policy will exempt 95% of small businesses – presidential committee

Ehime ALEX
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New tax policy will exempt 95% of small businesses – presidential committee

THE chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, said the Federal government is working on a system that would provide tax relief for 95 per cent of the Nigerian economy’s informal sector.

Oyedele reportedly hinted at the committee’s closing session on Sunday, May 12 in Abuja.

The 95 per cent target will fall on businesses earning N25 million a year or less from the various taxes, he said, explaining that the committee was using data for its decisions.

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“So, we think that 95 per cent of the informal sector should be legally exempted from all taxes; withholding tax, company income tax, even payee on their staff.

“We think that the informal sector are people who are trying to earn legitimate living. We should allow them to be and support them to grow to a point where they can then have the ability to pay taxes,” Oyedele said.

He said the reforms would focus on five per cent of that sector, the middle class and the elite for taxes and that the committee was drafting the laws to effect the necessary changes in the country’s fiscal policy and tax reform ecosystem.

The new laws will also ensure that reviews become sustained by subsequent governments, he said, adding: “We don’t want this whole effort to go down the drain, after one or two years.”

The tax committee chairman anticipates that the proposed tax law will be obeyed by all and sundry, especially by the authorities.

‘’We think they have to lead by example by showing that they have paid the taxes, not only on time but correctly to the lawful authorities as contained in the various laws,” Oyedele said.

Some taxes which Nigerians complained about are those already in the Constitution, which the committee called for their review, he pointed out.

He said his committee’s report would pass through the normal process of legislation to give it full legal backing.

“So, our expectation is, as we progress now from ideation, proposal to implementation, you’ll see less and less of those issues and then you’ll see harmony in the direction of the fiscal system.

‘’Not only in the number of taxes we collect, you will also see an improvement in how those monies are being spent in terms of priority and efficiency of spending and focusing on what impacts on the masses within multidimensional poverty line,” Oyedele said.

He noted also that the committee had been working with the sub-nationals and the local governments in harmonising the tax system in the country.

‘’So, we’re convinced, and that’s what the data tells us, that the right path we need to follow is the path where we repeal many of these taxes, harmonise whatever is left.

‘’We think we can keep that within single digit across local government, state and federal government combined, and then improve the efficiency of collecting those taxes.

‘’We are also very convinced that we need to increase the threshold of exemption for small businesses, for low-income earners because if you can’t make ends meet, the last thing you want is someone asking you to pay tax,” he added.

The ICIR reported that Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu had on July 6, 2023, set up the presidential tax committee and appointed Oyedele as chairman.

The committee, later inaugurated on August 8, was charged with a mandate to achieve an 18 per cent tax-to-GDP (tax to gross domestic product) ratio within three years, among other responsibilities.

In a report by The ICIR, Oyedele said that the committee would focus on repealing Nigerian tax laws inhibiting the ease of doing business in the country and promoting trade facilitation and wealth creation.

Court convicts mother of 5 for forging late Abba Kyari’s signature

Ehime ALEX
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Court convicts mother of 5 for forging late Abba Kyari’s signature

ONE Ramat Mercy Mba, a businesswoman and mother of five children, has been found guilty of forging the signature of the late Abba Kyari, a former chief of staff to immediate past Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. 

Mba was convicted by a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwagwalada, Abuja, presided over by Ibrahim Mohammad.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) disclosed this in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Demola Bakare, on Sunday, May 12.

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It stated, however, that the judge deferred the sentencing of Mba till Thursday, May 16, 2024, but directed that she be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre.

The ICIR reported in June 2022 that Mba was arraigned by the anti-graft agency for allegedly defrauding job seekers of N4.5 million.

She was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on cheating, fraud and forgery, which according to the ICPC is contrary to Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 200 and Sections 320 (b), 366 of the Penal Code Cap 89 laws of Northern Nigeria.

One of the counts read: “That you Ramat Mercy Mba (F) sometimes in the month of October 2019 or thereabout at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fraudulently induce one Mr Ismail Adewole Oladipupo, an unsuspecting job seeker and collected the sum of N700,000.00 from him which sum was paid into your private account under the guise of securing employment for him at the National Space Research and Development Agency. (NASDRA), and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320(b) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria.”

In the statement on Sunday, ICPC said its lawyer, Hamza Sani, led evidence before the court on how the convict dishonestly induced her victims in the guise of securing employment for them with government agencies.

The agencies included the ICPC, Federal Inland Revenue Services, and National Space Research Development Agency.

It said the documentary evidence tendered showed that the convict fraudulently forged a letterhead paper of Kyari’s office and his signature.

Further, the letter, addressed to the chairman of ICPC, was a request for the recruitment of three individuals by the commission.

The ICPC said Kyari in a written correspondence that was also tendered in court as an exhibit, however, distanced himself or his office from authorising the letter.

Delivering judgment, ICPC said the court convicted Mba on counts 1, 2, 3 and 5, which deal with cheating and forgery and discharged her on count 4, which deals with felony.

JTF uncovers 50 illegal refining sites in Bayelsa

Ehime ALEX
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JTF uncovers 50 illegal refining sites in Bayelsa

THE Joint Military Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, said it uncovered no fewer than 50 illegal refining sites within the Biseni Forests in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Bayelsa and other states in the Niger Delta corridor have been notorious for oil theft, crippling the Nigerian economy. The menace has led to a loss of human lives.

Briefing journalists on the recent discovery, the JTF Commander, John Okeke, said illegal refining of stolen crude occurred in each of the sites.

Okeke, who led the operation, said the team discovered a large pit capable of accommodating no fewer than 10 trucks of alternative gas oil (AGO), known as diesel.

“Our team moved from Ahoada-West in Rivers to discover these 50 illegal refining sites in Biseni, Bayelsa.

“It is from this large pit that they distribute to their illegal refining sites,” he said.

He noted that the JTF had severally warned against illegal oil businesses in the area.

”We have continued to warn, we are not going to relent. We will not get tired, we will continue to work, and we shall locate them wherever they are,” he vowed.

The ICIR reports that oil theft and illegal crude oil refining are a huge source of worry in the region.

Okeke urged the public to help in providing credible information to tackle the menace.

”We can’t do it alone, we need the support of the public. You can’t imagine that such activities will be ongoing in this thick forest except with reliable intelligence,” he said.

The ICIR reports that Nigeria hardly meets its crude oil quota supply for the international market amid the unending activities of oil bunkers.

Besides other reports, a recent investigation by The ICIR revealed that a feud between illegal oil bunkers led to the killing of 17 soldiers in the Okuama community in Ughelli South LGA of Delta.

The investigation uncovered that oil theft in the Niger Delta region are perpetrated by influential Nigerians and foreigners.

The cartel includes top military operators, government officials, highly-placed and retired oil industry players, politicians and business persons, and they belong to financiers of oil bunkering syndicates, which over the years have plunged the country’s economy into the abyss of decline.

Since the Okuama incident which has yet to abate, the JTF has been discovering illegal oil refining sites in the Niger Delta.

On March 7, the JTF reportedly uncovered 30 illegal refineries in Samkiri, a settlement in the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State which is among other discoveries in recent times.

14 of students abducted in Kogi varsity regain freedom

Nurudeen AKEWUSHOLA
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14 of students abducted in Kogi varsity regain freedom

THE Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the release of 14 of the abducted students of the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Okene, from their captors.

The students who were reading in the school halls in the night for their upcoming examination were abducted on Thursday, May 9.

Confirming the development on Sunday, May 12, the state police public relations officer, William Aya, was quoted by The Punch as saying, “So far, 14 of them have been rescued, Our men are in the bush trying to find the rest.”

The bandits reportedly entered from the surrounding bush, entered three lecture halls, and fired shots into the air to intimidate the students.

In a statement released on Sunday, May 12 by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said the state government announced the rescue of some of the students without disclosing the exact number of rescued students.

The government credited the successful operation to the display of force by security forces and local vigilantes against the kidnappers.

The statement read, “This is to inform the general public that some of the students abducted by gunmen at the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, have been rescued safely by local hunters and other security agents.

“Local vigilante men and security agents engaged the kidnappers in a fierce shootout and the kidnappers succumbed to superior firepower and escaped with gun wounds, leaving the kidnapped students who also ran in different directions to avoid being caught up in the fire exchange.”

The commissioner disclosed that the students kidnapped, including other people in captivity, had been rescued and taken to medical facilities for proper attention.

He noted that “in the sporadic gun battle to rescue our dear students, a local hunter and a DSS operative sustained injuries and they are currently receiving medical attention.”

The state Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo had earlier assured the safe return of the students, adding that the government had “activated the security architecture to track the kidnappers and ensure the abducted students are rescued and the abductors apprehended.”

Abduction of students has become a source of concern in Nigeria, where the number of out-of-school children is very high.

In 2023, The ICIR reported that Nigeria had 19.7 million out-of-school children and was the country globally with the third highest number of children deprived of education according to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 2020 Model Estimates.

On Thursday, March 7, 137 students and their principal were reportedly abducted by terrorists from the LEA Primary School in Kuriga, a community within the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The incident generated public outcry, with several leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, calling for their immediate release.

Abduction of schoolchildren became common in Nigeria, especially in the North, after nearly 300 students were abducted by terrorists from a school in Chibok, Borno State, in 2014.

Findings by The ICIR show that bandits and terrorist groups have disrupted the Nigerian education system, kidnapping over 1,000 students in the last decade.

Within the past three administrations, the abduction of school children has generated millions in ransom for kidnappers, leaving citizens with no hope of a possible end to the menace.

Student abduction occurs in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Among the tertiary institutions where students have been whisked away are Federal University Dutsin Ma, Katsina State, in 2023; Federal University, Gusau, in Zamfara State, in 2022, and the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, in 2021.

Prince Harry, Meghan arrive Lagos

Nurudeen AKEWUSHOLA
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Prince Harry, Meghan arrive Lagos

THE Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan, have arrived in Lagos State as part of their three-day visit to Nigeria.

They are expected to meet with the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at Lagos House in Marina.

In Lagos, the British Royal couple were guests of the Giant of Africa Foundation at the Dream Big Basketball clinic held at the Ilupeju Grammar School.

The President of the Giant of Africa Foundation, Masai Ujiri, commended the royal couple for inspiring young kids in Africa through sports.

The couples said they were delighted to be involved in programmes empowering young people in Africa.

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle landed in Nigeria on Friday as part of their promotion of the Invictus Games, the sporting event he founded for wounded military veterans.

While visiting the officer’s mess complex in Abuja, on Saturday, Harry’s team dressed in yellow played off in an exhibition against a team led by Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, the country’s top military commander.

The prince’s team took an early lead with players seated on foam mats, some with missing legs.

But his team lost the match to the commander’s squad Team CDS.

The couple later attended a reception for military families where they were greeted by traditional dancers who also performed acrobatics.

They also visited a Light Way Academy to open an event on mental health in Abuja, where they were welcomed by students.

The couple had visited Kaduna State where they were received by the state Governor Uba Sani and other government officials.

Prince Harry and Meghan are in Nigeria at the invitation of the Chief of Defense Staff, Christopher Gwabin Musa and the final day of their official itinerary is today, in Lagos.

After the basketball clinic with Giants of Africa, they will attend a cultural reception and conclude the day at a polo fundraiser for Nigeria’s ‘unconquered’.

The national charity dedicated to veterans’ works in collaboration with the Invictus Games Foundation.

It had earlier been announced that their visit to Nigeria would showcase Prince Harry’s adaptive sports tournament for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans.

Nigeria to receive $2.25bn World Bank loan in June

Nurudeen AKEWUSHOLA
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Nigeria to receive $2.25bn World Bank loan in June

THE Federal Government is set to receive a fresh $2.25 billion loan from the World Bank on June 13.

The loan is expected to fund two major development projects. The first is the Nigeria Reforms for Economic Stabilization to Enable Transformation Development Policy Financing, which will receive $1.5 billion.

The second project, the NG Accelerating Resource Mobilization Reforms Programme-for-Results, seeks $750 million.

Recent information suggests that the government may have secured a loan.

During the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, Minister of Finance Wale Edun announced that the nation qualified for a loan of $2.25 billion from the World Bank, described as almost a grant due to its favourable terms.

The package, approved by the World Bank’s Board of Directors, offers a 40-year term, including a 10-year moratorium, and a nominal one per cent interest rate.

He stated, “We have qualified for the processing just this week to the Board of Directors of the World Bank of a total package of $2.25 billion of what you can call ‘the closest you can get to a free lunch’- virtually a grant. It’s for about 10- 20 years moratorium and about one per cent interest.”

Based on the information on the international lender’s website, the two projects aim to improve Nigeria’s economic stability and ability to mobilise resources.

The funds are expected to support Nigeria’s efforts to reform its economy and improve government resource mobilisation, which are crucial for its long-term financial health and economic resilience.

The document outlines that the primary goal of the PforR programme is to increase non-oil revenues and protect oil and gas revenues from 2024 to 2028 at the federal level, with a focus on significant tax, excise, and administrative reforms.

The programme encompasses three key areas of results: implementing tax and excise reforms to boost VAT collections and excise rates on health and environmentally friendly products, strengthening tax and customs administrations to enhance VAT compliance and audit effectiveness, and safeguarding oil and gas revenues by enhancing transparency and net revenue contributions.

Additionally, the PforR programme provides technical assistance to support the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigeria Customs Service in improving taxpayer and trader compliance.

“The principal programme development objective is to raise non-oil revenues and safeguard oil and gas revenues. This result area aims to increase the transparency of NNPCL’s financial and operational performance through audits and regular production of enhanced reports submitted to FAAC, including all relevant information; and increase net oil and gas revenues transferred to the federation,” the report read.

The ICIR reported that Nigeria has taken multiple loans from the World Bank since President Tinubu became the president amid debt crisis facing the country.

The first was approved on June 9, 2023 with a loan of $750m to boost Nigeria’s power sector. The World Bank said the loan would serve as additional financing for the power sector recovery performance-based operation.

On June 27, the World Bank Group announced the approval of a loan of $500 million to help Nigeria drive women’s empowerment. This was the second loan approved by the Bank under Tinubu’s administration. It provided a scale-up financing for the Nigeria for Women Programme.

In September 2023, the Group approved a loan of $700 million to bolster educational opportunities and empowerment for adolescent girls in Nigeria. The loan was to support the ongoing ‘Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment’ (AGILE) project. It aimed to encourage secondary education accessibility for girls residing in specific target states within Nigeria.

On December 14, $750 million was disbursed for Distributed Access through a Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) project in Nigeria. The project aims to provide over 17.5 million Nigerians with better access to electricity via distributed renewable energy solutions and tackle the electricity access deficit.

AMVCA 10: Breath of Life tops with 4 awards + full list of winners

Itoro ETUKUDO
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AMVCA 10: Breath of Life tops with 4 awards + full list of winners

THE tenth edition of the biggest award show in the African movie industry, African Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) held on Saturday May 11, at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos State, with Breath of Life leading the list with four awards in different categories.

The annual event, which recognises outstanding performances in television, film, and entertainment was hosted by IK Osakioduwa, while the red carpet was hosted by Toke Makinwa, UTti Nwachukeu and VJ Adams.

Celebrating the 10-year milestone, the award event however commenced with an opening speech by the Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, followed by a welcome address by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Multichoice, John Ugbe.

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Kehinde Bankole bagged the award for ‘Best Lead Actress’, while Wale Ojo clinched the award for the category Best Lead Actor’.

The award ceremony featured music performances from artistes including Congolese music star, Awilo Longomba, Kcee, Chike, Adekunle Gold, among others.

Full list of winners

Best Lead Actor
Richard Mofe-Damijo (The Black Book)
Wale Ojo (Breath of Life)-Winner
Stan Nze (Afamefuna)
Marc Zinga (Omen)
Lateef Adedimeji (Jagun Jagun)
Gabriel Afolayan (This is Lagos)
David Ezekiel (Blood Vessel)
Gideon Okeke (Egun)

Best Lead Actress
Funke Akindele (A Tribe Called Judah
Adaobi Dibor (Blood Vessel)
Ireti Doyle (The Origin: Madam Koi Koi)
Kehinde Bankole (Adire)- Winner
Evelyne IIy (Mami Wata)
Omowunmi Dada (Asiri Ade)
Segilola Ogidan (Over The Bridge)
Lucie Debay (Omen)

Best Supporting Actor
Timini Egbuson (A Tribe Called Judah)
Alexx Ekubo (Afamefuna)
 Demola Adedoyin (Breath of Life)- Winner
Itele D Icon (Jagun Jagun)
Gregory Ojefua (This is Lagos)
Levi Chikere (Blood Vessel)
Ropo Ewenla (Over The Bridge)

Best Supporting Actress
Joke Silva (Over The Bridge)
Bimbo Akintola (The Black Book)
Fathia Williams (Jagun Jagun)
Genoveva Umeh (Breath of Life)- Winner
Tana Egbo-Adelana (Ijogbon)
Ejiro Onajaife (Madam Koikoi)
Eliane Umuhire (Omen)

Best Movie
A Tribe Called Judah
The Black Book
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti
 Breath of Life- Winner
Over The Bridge
Blood Vessel
Mami Wata

Best Director
C.J Fiery Obasi
Moses Inwang
Adebayo Tijani And Tope Adebayo
 Bb Sasore- Winner
Johnscott Enah
Kayode Kasum
Tolu Ajayi

Best Series (Unscripted)
LOL NAIJA (SEASON 1)
NIGHTLIFE IN LASGIDI
THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF LAGOS (SEASON 2)
GH QUEENS (SEASON 2)- Winner
MUTALE MWANZA UNSCRIPTED (SEASON 1)

Best Series (Scripted)
Volume
Wura (Season 2)-Winner
Slum King
Itura
Chronicles

Best Documentary
Ormoilaa Ogol (The Strong One)
Lobola, A Bride’s True Price?- Winner
Empalikino (Forgiveness)
The Water Manifesto: Osun (Water for Gold)
Sowing Hope

Best Writing Movie
A Tribe Called Judah (Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele, Collins Okoh and Akinlabi Ishola)
Mami Wata (CJ Fiery Obasi)
Jagun Jagun (Adebayo Tijani)
Breath of Life (BB Sasore)
Over The Bridge (Tosin Otudeko)
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (Tunde Babalola)- Winner
Afamefuna (Anyanwu Sandra Adaora)

Best Writing TV Series
Skinny Girl in Transit (Season 7)
Wura (Season 2)
Visa on Arrival
MTV Shuga Naija
 Volume- Winner
Masquerades of Aniedo
Slum King

Best Sound Design
Ava Momoh (Over the Bridge)
Daniel Pellerin and Amin Bhatia (Kipkemboi)
Grey Jones Ossai (Breath of Life and Blood Vessel)- Winner
Samy Bardet (Mami Wata)

Best Makeup
Feyisayo Oyebisi (A Tribe Called Judah)
Francesca Otaigbe (Over the Bridge)
Campbell Precious (Mami Wata)- Winner
Hadizat Gambo (Mojisola)
Hakeem Onilogbo (Jagun Jagun)

Best Costume Design
Daniel Obasi
Demola Adeyemi
Bolanle Austin Peters, Ituen Basi, Folake Coker and Clement Effanga
Lola Awe- WINNER
Bunmi Demilola Fashina

Best Art Direction
Mami Wata (C.J Fiery Obasi)
Blood Vessel (Victor Akpan)
Over The Bridge (Abisola Omolade)- Winner
Breath of Life (Okechukwu Frost Nwankwo, Kelechi Odu)
The Black Book (Pat Nebo and Chima Temple)
Jagun Jagun: The Warrior (Tunji Afolayan)
Omen (Eve Martin)

Best Editing
Chuka Ejorh and Onyekachi Banjo
Holmes Awa
Alex Kamau and Victor Obok
Dayo Nathaniel
Antonio Ribeiro- Winner
Nathan Delannoy

Best Cinematography
Mami Wata
Jagun Jagun
Ijogbon
Blood Vessel
Breath of Life
Over The Bridge-Winner
Omen

Best Short Film
Broken Mask- Winner
Eighteenth Year
Masquerades of Aniedo
A Place Called Forward
T’egbon T’aburo

Best Indigenous M-Net Original
The Passenger
Nana Akoto
Apo
Irora Iya-Winner
Love Transfusion (Kiapo Cha Damu)

Best Indigenous Language (Southern Africa)
Service to Heart
Uncle Limbani
Motshameko O Kotsi- Winner

Best Indigenous Language (East Africa)
Where The River Divides
Wandongwa
Nakupenda
Itifaki
 Ormoilaa Ogol (The Strong One)- Winner

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CSO asks Niger Speaker to rescind planned marriage for 100 female orphans

Nurudeen AKEWUSHOLA
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CSO asks Niger Speaker to rescind planned marriage for 100 female orphans

A Civil Society Organization, Take it Back Movement, has called on the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, to rescind his decision to marry off 100 female orphans in the state. 

This follows a report by The ICIR that the Speaker is set to marry off the female orphans to the grooms selected for them in a marriage scheduled for May 24.

In a statement signed by its Head of the Gender Department, Omolola Pedro, the Take It Back movement condemned the Speaker’s action and called for sustainable investment in women and girls.

Part of the statement reads, “It is worrisome that girl children who have lost their parents to banditry in the state are about to be ’empowered’ by being married off like some tubers of yam. Mr. Speaker has some explanations to do, about his definition of empowerment.

“One would expect that the Niger State government will compensate these girls for the unfortunate loss of their parents, leaving them to live lives alone, a result of the incompetence of the government in tackling insecurity, by providing them with education and opportunities capable of turning their lives around, but rather chose the easy way out to marry them off, a very insensitive, and careless decision.”

The organisation called on the state government to prioritise tackling the scourge of out-of-school and how it affects female children rather than giving them out for marriage.

“Child marriage remains prevalent in Nigeria because the federal and state governments have not adequately enforced laws to prevent it, such that a Speaker of an Assembly is emboldened to identify it as a worthy constitutional project,” it added.

The movement expressed dissatisfaction over how Nigerian girls are still being forced into child marriages despite the Child Rights Act.

The movement therefore called on the Speaker to “terminate the plans to marry these girls off and see to their education and equip them with sustainable life skills.”

In 2023, The ICIR reported rampant practice of forced child marriage in Niger State. The report covered the Bida Emirate of the state.

It detailed how young girls in the Emirate were tortured while resisting marriage. The girls were hypnotised by a prominent herbal doctor, scolded by relations, forced to marry in court, fled to the bush and allegedly lived in the mountains for days to escape being compelled to wed.

The girls’ parents also shared their views in the report. While some regretted the actions, others condemned their girls for rejecting their decision and going against tradition and the prevalent Islamic religion in the state.

In 2021, a report by Save the Children International revealed that about 78 per cent of girls in Northern Nigeria were victims of forced child marriage.

The report showed that Nigeria had one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world.

Even though the Niger State Speaker admitted that the brides were carefully selected for the planned wedding, it remains unclear whether they consented to it.

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