The Federal Government and its partners have approved Nigeria’s first-ever National Policy on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management (MHHM). The policy aims to tackle the challenges faced by women and girls during menstruation.
At the validation meeting in Abuja, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, described the policy as a major step to ensure menstruation does not limit the lives of women and girls. She was represented at the event by Dr. Maryam Keshinro.
She pointed out that the recent tax waivers on sanitary pads by President Bola Tinubu show the government’s sensitivity to gender and public health issues.
The minister explained that women between the ages of 15 and 49 make up about 25 to 30 per cent of Nigeria’s population, which means tens of millions of women manage menstruation every month.
She highlighted worrying statistics:15 per cent of girls aged 15 to 19 are already mothers or pregnant, more than 7.3 million adolescent girls and women are undernourished, and 55 per cent are affected by anaemia. These conditions, she said, are often made worse by poor menstrual hygiene and lack of affordable sanitary products.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim stressed that menstrual health is not only a women’s issue but also a family, community, and national development concern.
“Every month, millions of Nigerian women and girls experience menstruation — from big cities like Lagos and Abuja to remote villages and IDP camps. It is a natural process and should never be linked to shame, stigma, or economic hardship,” she said.
She listed several challenges: poor access to sanitary products, lack of clean water and toilets, limited information, and harmful cultural beliefs. These, she said, cause girls to miss school, exclude women from work, and create unnecessary health problems.
The new policy, she explained, is designed to break the silence, end stigma, and make menstrual health part of Nigeria’s development agenda across education, health, water, sanitation, and gender programmes.
The policy also sets a vision for 2030: no girl should have to choose between managing her menstruation and staying in school; no woman should face obstacles in her career because of menstruation; and no community should sustain stigma around it.
She called for strong collaboration from government agencies, communities, and development partners to make this vision a reality. The minister also thanked Population Services International (PSI) and WaterAid Nigeria for their support.
Mrs. Fifi Ogbondeminu, Acting Country Representative of PSI Nigeria, described the policy launch as a milestone. She said menstruation must no longer be treated as a silent burden but as a matter of dignity and urgency.
Represented by Abdulhameed Adediran, PSI’s Team Lead for Menstrual Health Initiatives, she added that menstrual health is a human rights, gender equality, and development issue. She highlighted PSI’s Menstrual Health No Wahala (MH-NoW) programme, which provides affordable products, education, and supportive environments to end stigma.
She called for the wide availability of low-cost sanitary products, integration of menstrual health into schools and community programmes, and support to keep girls in education without shame or disruption.
Evelyn Mere, Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria, said the policy will also improve access to clean water, toilets, waste disposal, and hygiene education.
Represented by Dr. Theodora Ngozika-Igboaneka, she noted that the policy shows Nigeria’s commitment to human rights, health, dignity, and the empowerment of women and girls.
“At WaterAid, we have seen the difference proper menstrual health management makes — girls stop missing classes, women fully participate at work, and communities replace silence and shame with open support,” she said.
Also speaking, Mrs. Mabel Adinya-Ade, Consultant for the policy’s development, explained that the policy provides a comprehensive framework to guarantee safe and dignified menstruation, especially for vulnerable women and girls.
