Stakeholders from across the health, development and technology sectors have called for urgent, multisectoral investment in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) across Africa, warning that failure to do so could result in the continent losing its greatest demographic advantage – its youth.
This call came during the National Policy Dialogue on Improving Adolescent Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services, held Thursday in Abuja. Themed “Closing Reproductive Health Impact Gaps – Strategic Approaches for Equity and Access,” the dialogue was organised by Nigeria Health Watch and partners to galvanise action around adolescent SRHR needs in Nigeria and beyond.
Despite ongoing investments in SRHR by the Nigerian government and development partners, outcomes for adolescents remain uneven. According to Science Nigeria, contraceptive uptake among adolescents is still notably low, with large segments of the population, especially girls in rural and underserved communities, facing limited or no access to essential reproductive health services.
Experts at the forum called for bold, evidence-based interventions designed with and for young people, while urging better alignment of donor priorities with national and subnational goals.
Africa Access Lead at Organon, Mashishi Mokgadi a global pharmaceutical company dedicated to women’s health, delivered one of the most poignant calls to action. She described how policy failures, systemic inequality, and cultural stigma often trap girls in cycles of early pregnancy, poverty and educational exclusion.
In a vivid illustration, she narrated the fictional story of Lucy, a 15-year-old Nigerian girl who becomes pregnant due to a lack of access to contraception, drops out of school and is forced into early marriage.
“Lucy’s story is not fiction for millions of girls. It’s a reflection of our failure to invest adequately in adolescent health,” Mokgadi said. “Every lost girl is a lost opportunity for our economies, our families, and our future. It touches every Sustainable Development Goal – from maternal health to education, gender equality, and economic development.”
Mokgadi reaffirmed Organon’s commitment to preventing 120 million unintended pregnancies under the FP2030 initiative, revealing that the organisation had already achieved 55 per cent of that target. She stressed that partnerships with governments, civil society and the private sector are crucial to securing sustainable financing and youth-friendly health systems.
“Our continent has the youngest population globally and we must invest in that future. Every dollar spent on family planning saves multiple dollars in health, education and productivity,” she added.
She also challenged African leaders to prioritise SRHR in public budgets. “If we build roads but young girls are dying in childbirth or dropping out of school due to unintended pregnancies, what future are we paving?” she asked.
Country director of Tiko Nigeria, Dr. Fatima Bunza highlighted the importance of deploying data and community feedback in shaping culturally appropriate and impactful solutions. She explained Tiko’s model as an ecosystem that connects adolescents with verified health providers, peer educators, and digital support tools.
“We don’t build tech for the sake of innovation. We design based on lived experiences—focusing on what adolescent girls need to feel safe, informed, and empowered,” Bunza said.
She noted that Tiko’s “eco-cards” – physical referral tools used by trained mobilisers – are a critical component for reaching adolescents without smartphones or internet access. “Low-tech is not a fallback; it’s a strategic choice,” she emphasized.
Director of communications at the International Youth Alliance for Family Planning (IYAFP), Peace Umanah urged stakeholders to embrace storytelling as a tool for both advocacy and behaviour change.
“Real Nigerian stories, told authentically, have the power to shift mindsets and open purse strings,” Umanah said. “When donors and policymakers see the human face behind the data, funding follows.”
Margaret Bolaji, FP2030 youth partnerships officer for North, West and Central Africa, showcased innovations like self-sampling HPV kits and discreet STI testing tools. She explained how the “Lemon” kit – a self-testing pack for common sexually transmitted infections – is now stocked in major pharmacies and can be requested simply by asking for a “lemon.”
“These tools preserve privacy and reduce shame. Girls don’t have to risk embarrassment just to take care of their health,” Bolaji said. She also emphasised the importance of building youth leadership, not just inviting young people to meetings but equipping them to lead.
Marketing lead at Healthtracka, Testimony Adeyemi highlighted “Lola,” a WhatsApp-based AI chatbot that offers young Nigerians judgement-free SRHR information in private, user-friendly formats.
“Many girls are afraid to ask questions in public or even at clinics. Lola meets them where they are – in their language, in their comfort zone,” Adeyemi said.
She also spoke about the annual Banking on Women’s Health Conference hosted by Healthtracka, which shares evidence-based insights into barriers young women face in accessing care, especially shame, misinformation and family pressure.
Speakers throughout the event stressed the importance of coordinated action across sectors – health, education, finance and civil society – to create a robust and inclusive reproductive health system.
The event concluded with a shared consensus: bridging Nigeria’s adolescent SRHR gap requires more than policy – it requires political will, domestic funding, youth-led design and honest conversations.
Participants issued a clear call: “Normalise youth access to reproductive health services through dignity, data and design.”
They urged the government to create specific budget lines for adolescent health, strengthen the delivery of SRHR through primary healthcare centres, eliminate discriminatory laws and expand digital and in-person access to information and services.
As Nigeria positions itself as a continental leader on SRHR issues, particularly with its recent appointment as host of the 2026 Global Ministerial Conference on AMR, stakeholders agree that reproductive health must be seen not as a “soft” issue but as central to human capital development and national prosperity.
The message was unambiguous: invest in the health and rights of adolescents today, or risk compromising Africa’s future.
