Today, two-thirds of the population in West and Central Africa is under the age of 24, but 23 million children and youth in the region are not in school. In particular, girls and young women face risks of early and unintended pregnancy and early marriage, often leading to dropouts. Sixty million young women in the region were married before the age of 18 and one in three gave birth before the age of 18.
Continuous and comprehensive knowledge on health and sexuality is key to reduce risks of early and unintended pregnancy, HIV infections and gender-based violence and to increase young people’s knowledge, confidence and agency to make informed choices and promote their wellbeing.
Meet Chidinma Adibeli, a young activist and youth and adolescent health educator from Lagos in Nigeria. Chidinma speaks about young people’s realities in Nigeria and what the recently signed West and Central Africa (WCA) commitment means to her and to her fellow youth in the country.
What is the WCA commitment and how were you involved?
The WCA commitment is a high-level political commitment which was signed by 25 countries in the region. These countries committed to work together to listen, understand and act in favour of the education and health of their youth.
I took part in the youth consultations, coordinated by UNESCO, which took place in the year leading up to the signing of the WCA commitment. In my role as youth representative from Nigeria, I ensured that young people’s perspectives, voice and realities were reflected in the agreement. I also as part of a UNESCO advocacy campaign entitled Youth Voices, that enabled young people in the region to speak out about the challenges they face.
Tell us about young people in Nigeria and the challenges they face.
I see the realities young people experience daily through my work as an educator and activist.
Many face situations they are not equipped to handle, and lack the information to understand, make choices and act. Many also do not know how to express themselves or what to do if they face a harmful situation, such as gender-based violence, sexual harassment, molestation, female genital mutilation and early sexual debut (forced and unforced), which are unfortunately realities in Nigeria.
Why is it important to commit to young people?
In the region, more than 1 in 7 girls are married at age 14 or younger. In , this number can be higher. We must not let this go on for another generation.
Many young people enter puberty without the slightest idea of what’s happening to them, and some are taken advantage of. I was molested as a child and only realised this was something that should not have happened and was not 'normal', when studying for my Bachelor’s degree in biological anatomy.
My story and that of the many children who are harassed or abused each day could be different.
How does education come into this?
We need to provide education so young people are informed about their rights, the services available to them and the possible pathways to take. When they are informed, they can make wise choices about their bodies and futures.
We also need to talk about contraception. We must not ignore the rising rates of unintended pregnancy, HIV and unsafe abortions amongst young Nigerians. Only with quality information and support, will young people make better health and lifestyle choices. Evidence shows that having information on sexuality delays sexual debut as you’re informed and responsible for your choices. I choose abstinence, but this is my choice.
What happens next as a UNESCO youth representative?
I continue to take part in discussions with the youth community, and provide context and input into policy considerations to take the from commitment to action. For example, we leveraged the media, urging our governments to act, and used storytelling to share the realities we face. Ministers are seeing our action, and there's been a positive and supportive response so far.
The next important step is to develop an accountability framework so that each country's government can be held accountable and concrete impact can be measured. We all have our part to play in strengthening our advocacy around health and education, and the accountability of Ministers who signed the commitment.
The commitment has been signed, but we need to continue our work so young people’s health and education stays on top of the agenda.
What is your hope for Nigerian youth?
I want to create a Nigeria where youth belong.
Where safe and healthy learning environments are a reality for all.
And where better health outcomes are not hindered by a lack of knowledge. Because we know that healthier young people learn better, and vice versa.
UNESCO coordinated national and regional consultations with young people, civil society organizations and governments in the WCA region, and contributed technical expertise on health and education to the WCA Commitment Working Group. Alongside this work, UNESCO ran an inspiring campaign highlighting and stories to advocate for youth’s health and education.
The endorsement of the WCA commitment by 25 countries in the region is an important contribution to health, education and gender equality outcomes.
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