Nigeria targets harmful gender norms to improve adolescent health

At the 2026 Gender and Inclusion Summit in Abuja, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, called for action to dismantle harmful gender norms that impede adolescent health. Salako noted that entrenched social expectations and unequal cultural rules limit young people’s agency, particularly for women, increasing vulnerability to violence, early pregnancy, and poor health outcomes.

To address these challenges, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is working to institutionalize adolescent and school health services and establish dedicated budget lines. Key initiatives include the National Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy 2025-2030, which aims to expand access to family planning and STI/HIV prevention, and a national HPV vaccination campaign that has reached over 14 million girls aged nine to 14.

Economic experts at the summit emphasized that gender-driven health disparities impact national human capital development, affecting education completion and future workforce participation. The summit, organized by the Policy Innovation Centre and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, seeks to bridge the gap between social policy and economic productivity through gender-transformative approaches.