By Abel Daniel, Lafia

Hacey, a non-governmental organization, has presented a scorecard framework prioritizing adolescent and young people’s sexual and reproductive health at the Second National Biannual Health and Development Sub-Committee meeting.

Ms. Rhoda Robinson, Executive Director of Hacey, highlighted the NGO’s SRHR Impact Plus Project during the two-day meeting held in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Tuesday and Wednesday. The event was organized by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with Hacey and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The meeting brought together stakeholders in adolescent health, including federal and state health officials, representatives of NGOs, and youth-focused organizations.

Robinson said that, in addition to training 100 medical providers to deliver youth-friendly SRHR services in tertiary institutions, Hacey has provided capacity strengthening for 600 civil society organizations (CSOs) and youth champions on designing SRHR programs for adolescents in their communities. The project also promotes SRHR information and services among peers in schools and communities.

She noted that Hacey has launched the Tombey SRHR Resource Center as a safe space offering tools, literature, mentorship, and youth-created content. The NGO has also established three media labs in Lagos, Osun, and Oyo states to support youth advocacy and CSO activities.

“Through trained youth-advocated CSOs, we have reached over 10 million adolescents and youths via advocacy radio, digital media, blogs, and community platforms,” Robinson said. She added that consultations with over 200 youths and CSOs across 10 states provided insights on awareness gaps, stigma, access barriers, and service readiness.

Robinson also reported that the “Own Your Health” media campaign achieved over 60,000 interactions. She emphasized that for more than a decade, Hacey has worked to deliver innovative SRHR solutions for adolescents and young people in Nigeria.

“In the last two years, the SRHR Impact Plus Project has strengthened youth engagement, improved access to youth-friendly health services, amplified SRHR messaging nationwide, and built stronger partnerships across government, civil society, and communities,” she said.

Mrs. Opeyemi Makanjuola, Sexual and Reproductive Health Manager at Hacey, noted that gaps remain due to insufficient youth-friendly centres, particularly for sexual and reproductive health services. She explained that the scorecard aims to track progress and highlight areas needing improvement.

“Recognizing that young people face challenges accessing services, we focused on training health centres in tertiary institutions to provide SRHR services closer to youth,” Makanjuola said.

Stakeholders at the meeting, including Dr. Ovuoraye John, Acting Director of Family Health at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; Prof. Adesegun Fatusi, Chairman of the National Technical Working Group on Adolescent Health; and Hajiya Fatima Adamu, Co-Chair of the TWG on Adolescent Health, praised Hacey’s efforts and called for increased commitment from government, donor partners, and other stakeholders.

They advocated for expanded awareness of youth-friendly health centres across Nigeria, tailored to meet the needs of young people. Hajiya Fatima Adamu emphasized the importance of providing adolescents, particularly girls in rural areas, with access to appropriate health services.

“Ensuring young people know where and how to access these services is a collective responsibility,” she said.