By Babagana Bukar Wakil, Lagos
Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark World Population Day 2025, with a focus on improving access to reproductive health information and services for young people.
The theme of this year’s observance is “Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world.” In Nigeria, where a significant portion of the population is under 25, the subject of adolescent and youth reproductive health continues to receive attention from health and development stakeholders.
Development Communications Network (DevComs) and The Challenge Initiative (TCI) used the occasion to call for increased support for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education and services targeting young people.
According to Dr. Taiwo Johnson, Country Director of TCI Nigeria Hub, “Providing young people with access to accurate information and services is a rights-based approach that supports health and development goals.”
TCI, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Bayer, works with state and local governments to expand family planning services using a sustainability-focused model. Its Life Planning for Adolescents and Youth (LPAY) program is being implemented in several states to improve access to sexuality education and youth-friendly health services.
The initiative also supports training for healthcare workers and engages digital platforms and community influencers to address misinformation and promote informed decision-making.
Thirty years after the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which emphasized placing people at the center of development, access to reproductive health services remains limited for many Nigerian youths due to stigma, misinformation, and inadequate service delivery.
Abiodun Ajayi, Executive Director of the Public Health Sustainable Advocacy Initiative (PHSAI), said more investment is needed in health, education, and policy frameworks to improve youth access to services.
DevComs and TCI are encouraging policymakers, civil society, donors, and media organizations to increase attention and resources for adolescent reproductive health.
Suliyat Eletu, Communications Programme Officer at DevComs, said youth inclusion in policy and planning is necessary to support overall development objectives.
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