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The Executive Director of Positive Proof Women Health Care Empowerment Initiative, Monica Lilian Obi, has unveiled a new advocacy project aimed at restoring Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in secondary schools across Lagos State.
Speaking during a press briefing, Obi introduced the initiative titled “Right to Know: Reclaiming Comprehensive Sexuality Education Rights for In-School Girls in Lagos State,” describing it as a response to growing adolescent health and education challenges linked to the removal of sexuality education from the national basic education curriculum in 2022.
According to her, the project seeks to strengthen the rights, health, and economic futures of women, girls, and marginalized youth through inclusive empowerment, education, and grassroots advocacy.
She said the absence of structured sexuality education has left many adolescent girls vulnerable to teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortion, HIV infection, sexual violence, and school dropout.
Obi cited statistics showing that many teenagers in low-income communities in Lagos experience unplanned pregnancies, while poor access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information continues to expose girls to harmful practices and misinformation.
She noted that Nigeria still bears one of the world’s highest HIV burdens and that adolescent girls remain among the most affected groups.
The POPWHEI Executive Director said the project would engage policymakers, education authorities, religious leaders, parents, and civil society groups to rebuild political support for the reinstatement of CSE in public secondary schools by 2028.
“Our goal is to ensure that girls aged 10 to 19 have access to accurate, age-appropriate information that empowers them to make informed decisions, protect themselves from abuse and health risks, and remain in school,” she said.
Obi explained that the initiative would also push for the integration of standardized sexuality education content aligned with national and international guidelines.
She described Comprehensive Sexuality Education as a curriculum-based and culturally relevant approach that teaches young people about human development, puberty, hygiene, consent, prevention of sexual abuse, HIV and sexually transmitted infections, healthy relationships, reproductive health, and life skills.
According to her, the project is designed not only to address immediate advocacy needs but also to strengthen long-term systemic reforms that protect adolescent girls’ health, dignity, and future wellbeing.
As part of the advocacy strategy, POPWHEI announced plans to establish a seven-member Comprehensive Sexuality Education Rights Advocacy Watch Party to sustain engagement with policymakers and stakeholders.
The group, she said, will include a student, a teacher, a parent, two civil society representatives, and two POPWHEI staff members.
The advocacy watch party will coordinate policy engagement, conduct dialogue with government officials, and represent the interests of adolescent girls in ongoing discussions on education and health reforms.
Obi stressed that the project would focus on adolescent in-school girls aged 10 to 19 in secondary schools across Lagos State.
She added that the expected long-term outcomes include reduced adolescent pregnancy rates, increased uptake of youth-friendly reproductive health services, improved school retention among girls, and stronger awareness of sexual and reproductive health issues.
“Protecting adolescent girls begins with equipping them with knowledge, not silence,” she said.