Minister calls for stronger national commitment to adolescent health and development as Nigeria joins global observance of International Adolescent Health Week
By Dr. Nafisat Makinde
Nigeria must make stronger and sustained investments in adolescent health and development to secure future national progress, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has said. He noted that 1.2 billion people globally representing 20 percent of the world’s population—are adolescents, with 85 percent living in developing countries. Nigeria alone, he added, has 23 percent of its population in this age group, calling it a crucial demographic that cannot be ignored.
Speaking at a press briefing to mark the International Adolescent Health Week (IAHW) in Abuja, Pate said adolescent health must be treated as a national development priority, not a marginal program. The week, themed “Thriving Inside-Out: Strengthening Physical and Mental Health of Adolescents,” he explained, underscores the need to address both the physical and mental well-being of young people in an integrated way. “To truly help our adolescents thrive, we must adopt a holistic approach that nurtures both their physical and mental health,” he said.
The Minister disclosed that the ministry has created a funded budget line for adolescent health and encouraged states without one to do the same. He added that policies such as the National Adolescent Health Policy, clinical protocols, and training manuals are already in place to improve service delivery. “A lot more needs to be done for this sub-population that constitutes nearly a quarter of Nigerians,” Pate said, warning that adolescents are often neglected or stereotyped as troublemakers, while their voices remain unheard in decisions that shape their future.
He further revealed that a National Adolescent Health Development Sub-Committee now meets twice yearly to assess implementation, while a dedicated training manual builds the capacity of frontline health workers. Pate urged stakeholders to sustain coordinated efforts across sectors to ensure that adolescents receive the right information, services, and opportunities for healthy development.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Daju Kachollom, represented by Dr. Ukaire Binyerem, reaffirmed the government’s commitment through the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent, and Elderly Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAEH+N) platform. She said adolescence remains a critical period full of potential but also challenges such as reproductive health issues, drug abuse, and mental health pressures, adding that collaboration between government, civil society, and development partners is essential to ensure Nigeria’s adolescents truly thrive inside and out.
