Written by: Bernard Otu Assim-ita
There is a new rhythm rising across Nigeria, steady and undeniable. It pulses in schoolyards where girls speak confidently about their reproductive health, in policy halls where young advocates are no longer observers but contributors, and in communities where adolescents are stepping forward not as passive recipients of services but as architects of their own futures. This is not a symbolic shift. It is a transformative one that redefines adolescent health from a programme delivered to young people into a movement being led by them.
This year, during International Adolescent Health Week, the energy across Nigeria did not resemble a ceremonial observance. It was a coordinated call to action. Civil society organisations worked alongside government bodies, development partners, and youth coalitions to translate advocacy into action. What emerged was a clear message from adolescents themselves: consultation is not enough. They want co-ownership of the solutions that affect their lives.
“We are done waiting for decisions about our health to be made without us. Adolescents don’t just want to be consulted. We want to co-create the solutions,”-said adolescent advocate Aizau Mohammed during one of the engagements.
Her voice echoed a wider sentiment across multiple communities, schools, and national platforms where issues such as HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, gender-based violence, and access to essential services were being addressed not in theory, but in real time.
Where services had once been distant or limited, they became accessible, youth-friendly, and responsive. Thousands of adolescents, especially girls, accessed HIV testing, counselling, and prevention tools such as PrEP and PEP. In Ebonyi State, through our programming and outreach in threeLocal government areas: Ebonyi,Izzi and Ohaukwu, more than 3,800 adolescents were reached through targeted interventions supported by partners. Beyond the data were deeply personal moments of transformation that revealed the true impact of this movement. One 15-year-old girl, after receiving information about her sexual and reproductive health rights, told an EVA counsellor, “Nobody has ever told me that my body is my own. Today, I feel like I have a voice.” This is the essence of adolescent health advocacy in Nigeria. It is not just about service delivery. It is about reclaiming agency and restoring dignity.
Students who were above 18 years in the schools we went to, were provided access to testing services and counselling support while establishing a clear linkage pathway, for sustainability and further support.
This year also marked a shift in governance spaces. Adolescents were not merely invited to policy dialogues. They were recognised as contributors to national health planning. In Abuja and across several state capitals, young advocates sat side by side with government leaders to discuss long-term strategies for adolescent-responsive health systems. Rather than being described, adolescents were being heard directly, influencing how services will be designed and delivered in the years ahead. This transition from token representation to meaningful participation reflects a growing understanding that the inclusion of adolescents is not only a moral obligation. It is a strategic investment in national development.
Because, International Adolescent Health Week, is about ensuring total health, in our outreaches, we also supported some communities with dignity kits for people who menstruate.
Nigeria is home to one of the largest adolescent populations in the world. The decisions made today will determine whether this generation transitions into adulthood with the tools to thrive, or remains locked in cycles of poor health and limited opportunity. Investing in adolescent health is one of the most cost-effective strategies a country can implement. A healthy adolescent is more likely to finish school, delay unintended pregnancy, avoid preventable diseases, and contribute productively to society. The return on investment is not just individual. It is national and intergenerational.
Movements do not end when commemorative weeks conclude. In Benue State, through the Advocating for Change for Adolescents project supported by PMNCH, youth advocates continued to engage policymakers after the close of the week. They followed up on commitments, monitored budget allocations, and tracked the implementation of adolescent-focused health services. This sustained engagement demonstrates that accountability is not about confrontation. It is about collaboration and shared responsibility. Adolescents are not demanding promises. They are shaping results.
Photo speaks from a community outreach in Benue state with out of school Adolescents and young people as part of activities to commemorate the week.
One youth advocate captured this principle clearly when she said, “Health access should not depend on where a girl is born or whether she can afford transport. It should depend on one simple truth, that she matters.” This truth is what now fuels the adolescent health movement in Nigeria. It is shifting the narrative from vulnerability to power, from gaps to solutions, and from awareness to systems change.
As International Adolescent Health Week comes to a close globally, the momentum within Nigeria is only accelerating. Adolescents are not waiting for the future to be handed to them. They are building it now, one clinic, one dialogue, one policy at a time. And they are doing so with clarity of purpose and unity of voice.
They are not simply participating. They are leading. And as long as they continue to rise, Education as a Vaccine will be there, not as a voice speaking for them, but as a partner walking beside them, transforming commitment into action and ensuring that every adolescent in Nigeria has not just the right to health, but the power to realise it.