The Chief Executive Officer of, the Centre for Integrated Health Programme (CIHP), an NGO, Dr Bolanle Oyeledun, says that the empowerment of adolescents will enable them to address their health challenges.
Oyeledun made this submission at the organisation’s 4th Annual Scientific Roundtable Series on Thursday in Abuja.
The theme of the event was “The Missing Link – Reducing Vulnerability of Adolescents and Young Persons through Sustainable Interventions.”
She said that young girls’ empowerment through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics(STEM) education and life skills was very important.
According to her, skill acquisition is highly relevant given the global push for gender equality and the need to bridge the gender gap in technology and science fields.
Oyeledun said that the initiative to create safe spaces and resources for young girls to thrive in traditionally male-dominated fields would be discussed.
“We will be discussing the importance of diversity and the need for targeted educational opportunities.”
She said that there were lot of disparities between men and women in the tech world, noting that women and girls often faced more challenges in entering and succeeding in many fields.
“To address this, a STEM Hub has been established to encourage young girls to pursue careers in science and technology.
“The initiative also aims to empower them with life skills, including self-esteem, public speaking, and mental health awareness, recognising the societal pressures they face.”
Oyeledun said that the unveiling of the “Cool Girls App” a platform where girls could discuss various issues would go a long way to address adolescents’ issues.
She emphasised the need for collective responsibility, starting with parents, to support and guide young people.
“While policies exist to address these challenges, they need to be brought to life with intent and resources, rather than merely being discussed.
“The overall message is a call to action for government, parents and society to work together to empower the next generation, particularly in the face of educational and social challenges,” she said.
Also, the Deputy Director, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr Chukwugozie Ujam, said that the country had made progress in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.
Ujam said that a lot had been achieved with the ongoing global health challenges and the need to sustain public health gains.
He emphasised the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders to achieve the goals and objectives that would be discussed at the meeting.
According to him, the government’s role is to create a supportive environment where stakeholders can effectively do their work.
“This includes providing accurate and relevant information to young people and creating safe spaces where they can express themselves, report issues, and receive support,” he said.
Ujam clarified that while there were areas with higher prevalence rates, the country had made significant progress in controlling the spread of the HIV.
According to him, the number of people living with HIV has decreased over the years as the current prevalence rate is around 1.7 per cent to 1.8 per cent.
Ujam noted that the focus was on maintaining low prevalence rates, particularly in states with historically higher rates like Benue.
He added that tailored programmes were necessary to address the specific needs of different regions, considering cultural, traditional and religious factors.
Ujam highlighted the importance of empowering communities by ensuring that individuals knew where to report issues, had access to safe spaces and could trust that their complaints would be heard and acted upon.
He said that recent efforts had been made to improve police responsiveness to community concerns.
Ujam reaffirmed the government’s commitment to balancing resources and efforts across regions to prevent a resurgence of high HIV prevalence rates and to support communities in addressing broader social issues.
In his speech, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Medical, Mr Idowu Owohunwa, said there were critical gaps in law enforcement.
Owohunwa pointed out that even with the best laws and policies, without strong law enforcement capacity and understanding, sustainable solutions were unlikely.
He expressed his commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening law enforcement’s ability to address significant threats.
NAN
