FG COMMITTED TO IMPROVING WELL-BEING OF ADOLESCENTS

Prof Muhammad Ali Pate
Coordinating Minister, Health & Social Welfare

... Says it's accelerating the achievement of related SDG priorities for adolescents and young people as a smart investment in the future of our societies, economies.

The Federal government is committed to improving adolescents’ well-being and accelerating the achievement of related SDG priorities for adolescents and young people as a smart investment in the future of our societies, economies, and the planet.

This was the assertion of Dr Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.

Adding that, “we recognize that the well-being of adolescents is critical to achieving sustainable development and acknowledge the importance of adopting a whole government approach to addressing the multiple and intersecting factors that impact adolescents in our country”.

He made this known at the Global Forum on Adolescents Well-being on Thursday in Abuja, Saying, we are making this commitment, we agree to register our commitments on the SDG summit acceleration accountability platform.

"We committed to systematically report on the implementation of those commitments through existing follow-up review processes, including the voluntary national review process.

According to him: “We also committed to prioritizing adolescents’ well-being, and related SDG priorities in our national development plans and strategies to ensure disaggregated data collection so that we better understand the challenges and opportunities for ensuring adolescent well-being and to integrate adolescent specific indicators into the monitoring and reporting frameworks by meaningfully engaging the adolescent themselves and young people in the design, implementation and monitoring of policies and programmes that affect their wellbeing.

“On behalf of the Government of Nigeria, we commit to strive to increase our financial commitments in the policies that we make, and also develop programmes and service delivery actions to improve our innocence.l wellbeing.

“The Government of Nigeria is totally committed to all efforts directed at the realisation of adolescence and young people’s potentials in nation-building for them to become healthy adolescents now, healthy adults in the future, and flourishing healthy generations in the future.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachallom who was represented at the occasion by her SA Haijia Jumai Abdullahi stated that, the Global Forum for Adolescents which is to increase awareness on issues of adolescents and to sustain financial commitment for Adolescent friendly services towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

According to her: “Globally, there are about 1.8 billion adolescents and young people (ages 10-24), this subpopulation constitutes a chunk of productive demography. It is a unique stage of human development and an important time for laying the foundations of good health.

“In addition, Nigeria prioritizes the special challenges of adolescent health and well-being. The projected population of Nigeria states that adolescents (10-19 years) constitute 22% of Nigeria’s population of young people (age 10-24 years) constitute about a third (32%).

“According to the 2021-2025 National Policy on Adolescent and Young People, states that Young people in Nigeria are diverse and heterogeneous in terms of socio-demographic characteristics, and health needs, social and health vulnerabilities hence the need for special attention to this demography.

“It is on this basis that the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with youth-led organizations such as Education as a Vaccine (EVA) and PLAN International organized this national event which is being
live streamed on various social media platforms,” she said.

In his goodwill message, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, who was represented by Dr Joy Ufere, the Technical Officer for Child and Adolescent Health WHO stated that, WHO will continue to support the government of Nigeria’s efforts to make adolescent well-being a national priority and for hosting the PMNCH (Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health) to coordinate this Global Forum.

According to him:”We believe this Global Forum will unite adolescents and young people with policymakers and will aim to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to adolescent health and well-being.

“Let me take this opportunity to remind us of our commitment for adolescent well-being because their well-being is critical to achieving sustainable development and calls for the importance of adopting a whole-of-government approach to work together in a coordinated and collaborative manner to address the multiple and intersecting factors that impact adolescents.

“Strengthening our collective efforts to improve adolescent well-being will help accelerate the achievement of related SDG priorities – for investing in adolescents and young people is a smart investment in the future of our societies, economies, and the planet.

“We have to commit to prioritize adolescent well-being, and related SDG priorities for young people our national development plans and strategies, to ensure disaggregated data collection to better understand the challenges and opportunities for ensuring adolescent well-being, and to integrate adolescent-specific indicators into the monitoring and reporting frameworks.

“Nigeria will benefit more by meaningfully engaging adolescents and young people in the design, implementation, and monitoring of policies and programs that affect their well-being,” he added.

Also in his goodwill message, the Director of Partnership and Business Development, PLAN INTERNATIONAL NIGERIA, Dr. Oji Ogbureke, said they are “working closely with young people especially adolescents with a particular focus on girls. Our goal is crystal clear: to empower 20 million girls. Our dedication to the 1.8 billion campaign revolves around this ambition.

“We are thrilled to be part of this journey alongside our partners in Nigeria and across the globe. Together, we aimed to amplify the voices of adolescents and young people on issues that pertain to their health, well-being and overall Development.

“We pledged to remain steadfast, we reaffirmed our commitment to this process and will continue to collaborate with partners, adolescents and all young people to ensure that their voices are not just heard but also acted upon. We will tirelessly work towards policy reforms and legal changes, advocating for the implementation of existing ones, all in alignment with the spirit of the commitment we are witnessing today.