Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Nigeria about the issue of female genital mutilation.

The UK is working closely with the Nigerian government to eradicate the abusive practice of female genital mutilation in Nigeria.

Nigeria is one of 17 countries targeted by the Department for International Development's £35 million programme working towards ending Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in Africa.

The programme focuses on three areas: building the evidence base for tackling FGM, working with the UN on challenging social norms and with governments on policy measures, as well as support for Africa-led campaigns.

Our broader development programme in Nigeria also includes initiatives that tackle violence against women and girls. This includes UK support for implementation of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, which criminalizes female genital mutilation.