Female genital cutting is illegal and a violation of human rights. Despite promulgation of laws to promote its cessation, the detrimental practice is still pervasive among Nigerians. However, this paper examined the role of newspaper in eradicating female genital cutting (FGC) in Nigeria.  112 newspapers comprising The Punch and The Guardian were analysed for the study. This study was anchored on framing, agenda setting and social responsibility theories. Coding sheets were subjected to statistical test and analyzed using descriptive statistics of simple percentage. The result of the finding indicated that the selected newspapers did not give adequate prominence to FGC. The stories were positioned within the inside pages of the newspapers. Also, it was revealed that straight news and feature stories were the major format used in reporting FGC in the newspapers. Similarly, negative direction stories were adopted in reporting FGC in the newspapers. The papers reported less about solution towards eradicating FGC. There were no significant stories about enforcing law against FGC in Nigeria. In conclusion, the study established shortcoming in the functions of mass media in agenda setting and information dissemination in the campaign against FGC. Hence, issues relating to Female genital cutting should be frequently reported and made available in pages of newspaper for review and discussion. Prominence should be given to Editorial and Features that can help raise awareness about FGC and prompt government to take action. Educative articles on the health hazards and legal implication of FGC act to be published regularly by the media. 

Abdulcadir, J., Margairaz, C., Boulvain, M. & Irion, O. (2011). Care of women with female  genital cutting/cutting. Swiss Med Wkly, 140(8), 90-103.

Asemah, E. S. (2011). Mass media in the contemporary society. Jos: University press.

Berg, R. C. & Underland, V. (2014). Immediate health consequences of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) (PDF). Oslo: Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services, 12(4), 837–859. ISBN 978-82-8121-856-7. ISSN 1890-1298. PMID 29320014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2018.

Chernov, G., Valenzuela, S., & McCombs, M. (2011). An experimental comparison of twoperspectives on the concept of need for orientation in agenda-setting theory. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 88(3):142-155   (PDF) Agenda Setting: readings on media, public opinion, and policymaking. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333372208_Agenda_Setting_Readings_on_Media_Public_Opinion_and_Policymaking [accessed Jun 14 2024].

Dike, E.I.,  Ojiyi,  E.C., Chukwulebe, A.E. (2012). Female genital cutting: awareness and attitude of nursing and midwifery students in Afikpo, Nigeria. International Journal  of Gynecology Obstetrics, 10(2), 74-80. 

 Ilesanmi, O. O.,  & Ilesanmi, F. I. (2018). Female genital cutting in Nigeria: A systematic review of literature.  Gender & Behaviour, 4(1),1-14. 

 Kalu, L. E. (2010). The media and political communication in Nigeria. Journal of Media and Political Studies, 2(1), 1-12.

 Karmaker, B., Kandala, N., Chung, D., & Clarke, A. (2011). Factors associated with female genital cutting in Burkina Faso and its policy implications. International journal for equity in health, 10(1), 20-33

King, G.,  Schneer, B. &  White, A (2017) . ―How the news media activate public expression and influence national agendas.‖ Science, 358, Pp. 776-780. Publisher's Version Copy at https://tinyurl.com/y8qzebpx

 Leasure, E.,  Roth, S.,Yegon, Anderson, D., Datta, I., & Izugbara, N. (2022) Women‘s empowerment and attitudes towards female genital mutilation abandonment in Nigeria: A cross-sectional analysis of the Nigeria demographic health survey. African Journal of Reproductive Health, 26(5), 107-129

 Latham S. (2016). The campaign against female genital cutting: empowering women or reinforcing global inequity? Ethics Soc Welfare, 10(2),108–21

 McCombs, M., & Shaw, D. L. (1972). The agenda-setting function of mass media. Public Opinion Quarterly, 36, 176-187

 McCombs, M., & Stroud, N. J. (2014). Psychology of agenda-setting effects: Mapping the paths of information processing. Review of Communication Research, 2, 68-93.

 McCombs, M., & Weaver, D. (1973). Voters‘ need for orientation and use of mass communication. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Montreal, Canada  (3) (PDF) Agenda Setting: Readings on Media, Public Opinion, and Policymaking.

 NCBI (2023). An overview of female genital cutting in Nigeria - NCBI - NIH. 

 Nour,  N. M.(2008). Female genital cutting: A persisting practice. Rev Obstet Gynecology, 1(3):135–139.

 Nworgu, K.O., Awaeze, C.C. & Amadi, M. (2011). ―Functions of the Mass Media‖. In: Nworgu, K.O. (Ed) Mass Media and Society in a Globalising  & Digital Age. Owerri: Ultimate Books.

 Ogbuoshi, L. I. (2011). Introduction to mass communication. Enugu: Newmoon Publishers.

 Okeke T.,  Anyaehie,  U., &  Ezenyeaku,  C. (2012) An overview of female genital cutting in Nigeria. Annals of Medical Health Science Research,  2, 70–73.

 Ofor, M.O. & Ofole, N.M. (2015). Female genital mutilation: the place of culture and the debilitating effects on the dignity of the female gender. European Scientific Journal. 11 (14), 112-121.

 Okeke, T.C., Anyaehie, U.S.B and Ezenyeaku, C.C.K (2017).An overview of female genital mutilation in Nigeria. Ann. Med health science res. 2 (1), 70-73.

 Osayande R. O (2015) Mass media and social engineering Journal of Management and Social Sciences. 1(3), 12-30.

 Omolase, C.,  Akinsanya, O., & Faturoti, S. et al (2012). Attitudes towards female genital cutting among pregnant women in Owo, Nigeria. S Afr Fam Pract, 54(7),363–366. Pushparaj, A. (2014). An essay on the role of media. http:// www.publishyourarticles.net/eng/articles/anessayon theroleofmedia.

 Purity,  M,  Maryjoy,  K., , Kalondu, E.,   Karani, C., Rawnaq, B., Al-Rousan, T., Kroll ,T., Brún, D., & McAuliffe. E. (2022). Female genital mutilation and male involvement: Insights of men and women in two counties in Kenya. African Journal of Reproductive Health November 2022; 26 (11),106-118.

 Safie, R. E., Constant., N. D., &  Kando, A. S. (2023) . On the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM): an analysis of cultural substitutes as strategies for collective change and abandonment in Côte d'Ivoire. Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies, 5(2), 99-107. 

 Udowoima, M. & Ukpo, Q. (2021).. Law as an agent of social change: A case study of 

female genital mutilation in Nigeria (December 15, 2021). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3986554 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3986554  

 United Nations Children‘s Fund (2013). Female genital mutilation/cutting: a statistical overview and exploration of the dynamics of change, New York, UNICEF

UNICEF.(2013) Female genital mutilation/cutting: a statistical overview and exploration of the dynamics of change. Reproductive Health Matters, 21(42),184–90.  (3) (PDF) Current Critiques of the WHO Policy on Female Genital Mutilation. Available from:  UNICEF (2016). Female genital cutting: A global concern

UNICEF (2022a). Female genital mutilation (FGM) notes on the data. New York: UNICEF. Available from https://data.unicef.org/topic/child- protection/female-genital-mutilation/#_ftnref1.

 UNICEF (2022b). UNICEF warns FGM on the rise among young Nigerian girls. Abuja: UNICEF. Available from https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/press-releases/unicef-warns-fgm-rise-among-young-nigerian-girls [downloaded 3 January 2023].

 Valenzuela, S., & Chernov, G. (2016). Explicating the values-issue consistency hypothesisthrough need for orientation. Canadian Journal of Communication, 41, 49-64.  (3) (PDF) Agenda Setting: Readings on Media, Public Opinion, and Policymaking. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333372208_Agenda_Setting_Readings_on_Media_Public_Opinion_and_Policymaking [accessed Jun 14 2024].

 Valenzuela, S. & McCombs, M. (2019). The agenda-setting role of the news media.in an integrated approach to communication theory and research, Kristen Eichorn and Don Stacks, eds., Chapter 8. New York: Routledge, 2019.  (3) (PDF) Agenda Setting: Readings on Media, Public Opinion, and Policymaking. 

WHO (2016). Guidelines on the management of health complications from female genital mutilation, Geneva: World Health Organization, 2016. PMID 27359024

 WHO (2022). Eliminating female genital mutilation: an interagency statement [Internet]. WorldHealth Organization; 2008. Available from:https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/fgm/9789241596442/en/  (3) (PDF) Current Critiques of the WHO Policy on Female Genital Mutilation. 

 WHO (2019). WHO and partners harmonize government efforts to stop medicalization of   Female Genital Mutilation. Abuja: WHO. 

Wogu, J.,  Amonyeze, C.,  Folorunsho, R., & Aloh, H. (2019). an evaluation of the impact of media campaign against Female genital cutting (FGC) in the rural communities of Enugu State, Nigeria. Global Journal of Health Science; 11(14), 37-46.