By Our Reporter
The Pads for Her Initiative, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, has hosted a high-level National Policy Roundtable on Health, Education, and Sustainable Development: Ending Period Poverty, aimed at translating menstrual health advocacy into concrete policy action.
The roundtable, held at the Ministry’s Conference Room in Abuja on October 31, 2025, brought together stakeholders from government, civil society, and the private sector to chart a national course toward menstrual justice and gender equity.
In attendance were representatives from key Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), including the Federal Ministries of Health and Social Welfare; Education; Women Affairs; Industry, Trade and Investment; and Water Resources and Sanitation.
Other participating agencies included the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).
In his opening remarks, the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayo Wisdom Olawande, represented by Dr. Obinna Ebirin, Senior Technical Advisor to the Minister, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to promoting youth health and gender equity.
He emphasized that menstrual health is central to the broader agenda of youth development and empowerment.
The Director of Youth Health and Psychosocial Department, Mr. Emmanuel Essien, also pledged the Ministry’s continued partnership with stakeholders to implement menstrual health initiatives nationwide.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. John Ajiwohwodoma Ovuoraye, Director and Head of Gender, Adolescent, School Health, and Elderly Division at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, who represented the Minister of Health, underscored the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration in addressing menstrual health challenges.
Representatives of partner organizations including Girl Effect (Country Director, Mrs. Boladale Akin-Kolapo), 234 AURA, Innovborders, and members of the Pads for Her Initiative’s Board of Trustees—Dr. Sylvia Aneke Cole and Mrs. Aisha Allanso-Ahumareze—also participated in the policy dialogue.
Dr. Teresa Bassey, an international consultant in public health and aviation medicine, was also in attendance.
Coming shortly after the validation of Nigeria’s National Menstrual Health Policy, discussions at the event focused on practical strategies for sustainable implementation.
Among the key recommendations were the removal of VAT on sanitary products, promotion of local production of menstrual hygiene items, reduction of taxes on raw materials, strengthening of WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) infrastructure, and wider youth engagement across the menstrual health value chain.
Participants also advocated leveraging the NOA’s 800 field officers for nationwide sensitization, stronger inter-ministerial collaboration, and the integration of ICT tools for effective data collection and policy tracking.
At the close of the session, stakeholders made commitments to push the identified priorities forward, while the Federal Ministry of Youth Development pledged to sustain coordination and accountability among all partners.
Speaking on the significance of the engagement, Amarachi Blessing Ojimmah, Founder of Pads for Her Initiative, said:
“This dialogue marks a major milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward menstrual justice. Our goal is to move beyond advocacy and ensure menstrual health is recognized as a development, policy, and human rights priority.”
Pads for Her Initiative reaffirmed its resolve to promote menstrual equity through policy advocacy and grassroots action, while continuing its ongoing campaign to provide 144,000 sanitary pads for 12,000 women and girls across the country.
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