Nigeria Health Watch will host a national policy dialogue aimed at addressing the country’s high adolescent fertility rate, currently at 117 births per 1,000 girls aged 15–19.
The event will also focus on improving access to modern contraceptives, with current usage among sexually active, unmarried adolescent girls at a low 7.8%.
Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, Mrs Vivianne Ihekweazu, announced the initiative in a statement on Monday, stressing the urgent need for strategic action to safeguard the health and future of young girL.
She said the event would bring together key stakeholders to craft sustainable solutions to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) outcomes for Nigerian adolescents.
According to her, adolescents in Nigeria, particularly those in rural and underserved communities, continue to face significant barriers to accessing comprehensive sexuality education.
“Every young person deserves the right to make informed decisions about their body.
“To deliver on Nigeria’s FP2030 commitments, we must invest in services that address their realities and protect their rights,” she said.
She said that the dialogue would feature panel discussions on strengthening multi-sectoral collaboration for SRHR and making SRHR work for adolescents.
According to her, it would draw participation from government representatives, civil society organisations, youth groups and development partners.
“Speakers will include representatives from the Federal Ministries of Health, Education, Youth Development, and Women Affairs.
“There will also be leaders from organisations such as Organon, Youth Hub Africa, Gender Mobile Initiative, and EngenderHealth Nigeria,” she said.
She said that despite interventions like Organon’s “Her Promise Access Initiative”, which aimed to reduce unmet contraceptive needs in low and middle-income countries, many adolescents still faced challenges including stigma.
She said that they also faced lack of confidentiality, inadequate service delivery, and poor policy implementation.
“The dialogue seeks to amplify youth voices, inform policies and build stronger partnerships to ensure that no young person is left behind in the journey toward equitable reproductive healthcare,
