The Federal Government has raised concern over adolescent reproductive health, revealing that 15 per cent of Nigerian girls aged 15 to 19 are either mothers or pregnant.
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, disclosed this on Tuesday during the validation and adoption of Nigeria’s first-ever National Policy on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management (MHHM).
Represented by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Maryam Keshinro, the minister also noted that more than 7.3 million adolescent girls and women suffer from undernutrition, with 55 per cent affected by anaemia, conditions she partly attributed to poor menstrual hygiene and lack of access to affordable sanitary products.
Describing the new policy as a “milestone,” Sulaiman-Ibrahim emphasized that menstruation “is a normal biological process that should never be a source of shame, stigma, or economic hardship.”
She further commended President Bola Tinubu for granting waivers on sanitary towels, saying it demonstrates his administration’s commitment to gender and public health issues.
“Women aged 15 to 49 constitute about 25 to 30 per cent of Nigeria’s population. It is therefore critical to ensure that menstruation does not hinder the rights, opportunities, or well-being of any woman or girl,” she said.
Adding to this, Fifi Ogbondeminu, acting country representative of Population Services International (PSI) Nigeria, stressed that menstrual health should be recognized as a human rights and development issue, describing the new policy as a major step towards ensuring menstruation is handled “with dignity, empathy, and urgency.”
