Nigeria Charts Unified Path for Adolescent Health Through National Policy Dialogue

Nigeria is intensifying its focus on adolescent health, well-being, and development through a bold commitment to multisectoral collaboration, in line with the National Health Sector Strategic Blueprint and the National Policy on Health and Development of Adolescents and Young People. This renewed push was the central theme of the National Policy Dialogue on the Future of Adolescent and Youth Sexual Reproductive Health and Development (AYSRH&D), held in Abuja, which brought together diverse stakeholders to forge a unified strategy for adolescent health.

A Gathering of Key Stakeholders

The two-day dialogue, hosted at the Abuja Continental Hotel, was convened by the Society for Family Health (SFH) in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, and State Ministries of Health from Kano, Kaduna, Kwara, and Nasarawa.

Attendees included representatives from Ward Development Committees, members of the Nigeria National Assembly, officials from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Nigeria Governors Forum, youth-led organizations, traditional leaders, civil society actors, and private sector partners. The presence of such a broad coalition underscored the importance of collective action to unlock the potential of Nigeria’s young population, which forms a significant part of the country’s demographic strength.

Why It Matters

Nigeria’s adolescent population represents not just the future workforce but also a driver of national growth and stability. However, challenges such as limited access to healthcare, early marriage, gender-based violence, and unemployment continue to threaten their development.

By convening this dialogue, the government and partners sought to make adolescent and youth health a central pillar of development plans, aligning with global commitments such as Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and WHO’s AA-HA! 2.0 (Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents).

Tools and Frameworks Introduced

The WHO contributed significantly to the dialogue by presenting two critical frameworks:

• Framework for Multisectoral Actions on Adolescent Health – offering practical steps for strengthening coordination across ministries and sectors.

• Meaningful Adolescent and Youth Engagement (MAYE) Framework – guiding how young people should be actively involved in decision-making, planning, and programme delivery.

These tools shaped discussions on how Nigeria can institutionalize adolescent and youth-centered design approaches at both national and subnational levels.

Strategic Goals of the Dialogue

The meeting focused on four key objectives:

• Building agreement and commitment to prioritize adolescent and youth health.

• Identifying gaps and integrating evidence from programmes such as A360, which uses human-centered design for adolescent health interventions.

• Strengthening coordination between ministries, state governments, and other stakeholders.

• Encouraging partnerships among government, civil society, youth groups, traditional leaders, and private sector actors.

WHO and UNICEF’s Role

WHO showcased Nigeria’s progress in applying the AA-HA! guidance since 2020, highlighting successes in policy reviews, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and state-level programme rollouts in Edo and Katsina. The organization has supported the revitalization of State Adolescent Health and Development Technical Working Groups and the creation of LGA-level workplans.

UNICEF has complemented this by expanding adolescent health programming to nine additional states, showing growing national momentum for youth-focused interventions.

Voices from the Dialogue

The dialogue emphasized the importance of youth voices:

• “When young people are meaningfully involved in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programmes designed for us, it helps improve our health and well-being.” — Margaret Bolaji, Executive Director, Stand With A Girl (SWAG) Initiative.

• “This event comes at a very critical time in our nation’s history... under the strong leadership of the Coordinating Hon. Minister of Health and Social Welfare.” — Dr Binyerem Ukaire, Director, Family Health Department.

• “Healthy young people are better positioned to contribute meaningfully to national development.” — Mr Emmanuel Essien, Representative of the Hon. Minister of Youth Development.

Next Steps

The dialogue concluded with a joint commitment statement from all stakeholders to accelerate adolescent and youth health programming, with a particular emphasis on subnational implementation. WHO pledged to continue providing technical support, while civil society and youth-led organizations vowed to sustain advocacy to keep adolescent voices central to policy design.

Looking Ahead

This dialogue is more than a meeting—it is the foundation for a national movement to prioritize adolescent health as a driver of development. By embedding multisectoral collaboration, accountability frameworks, and meaningful youth engagement, Nigeria is positioning itself to harness the full potential of its young population and secure a healthier, more prosperous future.