Tag Archives: UNFPA

LASG SENSITISES YOUTH ON DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDENDS ~Ajasa-Info

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Towards ensuring the vast majority of youth in the State are carried along in terms of policy formulation and implementation, the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund has organized one day program tagged “High Level Meeting With Young Policy Makers And Youth Leaders On Harnessing Demographic Dividend”at the State Treasury Office, Ikeja on Tuesday.

In her speech, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Pharm (Mrs) Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu said “demographic dividend has become necessary because of the significant population changes Lagos State has gone through over the years.It is important to note that the population of youths in Lagos State which stands at approximately 10 million is the highest in the country.Consequently, the role of policymakers and youth leaders cannot be overemphasized in achieving a population structure that would add value to the economy of the State.”



According to the Permanent Secretary,it was the increase in population size accompanied by changes in age that resulted in the creation and eventual commissioning of the Demographic Dividend Initiative in 2015 with the objective to study the population status and determine the investment climate in the State that will bring about short and long term gains to residents of the State.

Pharm (Mrs) Oke-Osanyintolu disclosed that “Lagos State has attained its First Demographic Dividend and on the path to achieving the second.The Roadmap and Profile was launched by Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget in October 2022.Young people in policy making and leadership positions are to be sensitized on their roles in achieving the Second Dividend.”

Head,UNFPA, Lagos State,Dr Somefun Esther noted that the international organization was collaborating with the State in pursuit of its mandate to invest in the youth that would in turn develop the nation.

Equipping the youth with requisite skills and providing them with opportunities are some of the things that the UNFPA has put in place to assist the youth, according to Dr Esther.

In their presentations, the facilitators,Mr Basit Baruwa(Deputy Director, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget)and Mr Ibrahim Oladimeji(UNFPA Representative) enlightened the participants on “Overview of the Demographic Dividend Profile and Roadmap” and “Youth Angle: Highlighting and Identifying Accelerators Towards Achieving Demographic Dividend In Lagos State” .

The duo pointed out the different ways the youth would be able to identify opportunities, collect and process data as well as utilizing Education, Empowerment and Employments (3Es) in harnessing demographic dividend in Lagos State.

LASG, UNFPA SET TO PIONEER GUIDELINES FOR MENSTRUAL HYGIENE MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA ~Ajasa-Info

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Images of the two-day workshop on Development of Guidelines for Menstrual Hygiene Management held recently at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), Alausa, Ikeja.

Lagos State Government, in collaboration with United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), is set to pioneer the guidelines for menstrual hygiene management in Nigeria.


The Director, Family Health and Nutrition, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Dr. (Mrs) Folashayo Oludara, disclosed this at a two-day workshop on Development of Guidelines for Menstrual Hygiene Management held recently at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), Alausa, Ikeja.


She explained that the workshop, organised by the Ministry of Health, was a follow-up to the Y2021 study on Menstrual Hygiene Management amongst girls in Public Schools in Lagos, which revealed that 55.4% of the sample population lack adequate information on Menstrual Hygiene Management.

Dr. Oludara stated that the aim of the event was to generate guidelines on menstrual health management as a means of addressing physical, emotional, psychological and financial challenges, as well as threats to menstrual health and hygiene of adolescent girls in Lagos State and Nigeria.

She pointed out that the State Government had earlier embarked on various activities designed to promote menstrual health and hygiene in Lagos.


Her words: “The Ministry has organised health talks and distributed sanitary pads in various junior and senior secondary schools in Lagos. It commemorated the World Menstrual Hygiene Day, on 28th May, 2022 at some schools and Ikorodu Youth Hub for out-of-school youths. There are other activities ongoing and we hope to reach all menstruating girls across the State with adequate information”.


Mrs. Oludara, therefore, enjoined participants and stakeholders present at the event to come up with specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and sustainable guidelines for the management of menstrual hygiene in Nigeria.

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Earlier, Dr. Amaka Haruna, a representative of UNFPA, acknowledged the efforts of the Lagos State Government in spearheading the development of guidelines for Menstrual Hygiene Management, which will be the first in Nigeria.


She said: “At the national level, there are no menstrual hygiene guidelines, but some countries like India and South Africa have something going including how to guide a girl when she starts her menstrual period as well as introduce her to the reproductive cycle. This is the beginning and introduction of adolescent to sexual reproductive health”.


Haruna explained that the initial study and findings on menstrual hygiene needs of girls in Lagos and Southwest States did not comprehensively address the issues, stressing that there are a lot of ways to standardise the process in terms of supporting young girls when they experience their menstrual periods.


Dr. Toriola Femi-Adebayo, a Community Health and Primary Healthcare Consultant from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) enlightened participants on the study conducted in Y2021, especially on some important key points to note in the course of formulating the guidelines.


She stated that the workshop was organised to address the needs of adolescent girls as well as bridge the information gaps on menstruation, good menstrual hygiene practices as well as guidelines that enable a safe, private and clean environment for the duration of the menstrual period.


“Menstrual hygiene is the practice of using clean materials to absorb menstrual blood that can be changed privately, safely and hygienically as often as necessary for the duration of the menstrual period. These include regular change of clothing and underwear, change of hygienic pads every three to four hours, daily showering especially in instances of menorrhagia, adequate washing of the genitalia after each voiding of urine or faeces as well as continuing normal routine and daily activities while maintaining a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables rich in iron and calcium”, Dr. Femi-Adebayo said.


Officials from various Ministries, Department and Agencies, UNFPA, UNYPP, DAI, YAC, UNICEF, Action Health Incorporated, Private Sector Organisations, adolescent girls and other stakeholders brainstormed on several ideas and lines of action towards achieving effective Menstrual Health Management in Lagos.