World Population Day: TCI Urges More Investment In Adolescent Reproductive Health
As the world marks World Population Day 2025, The Challenge Initiative (TCI) has called for urgent and sustained prioritization of young people in Nigeria’s development agenda, particularly in matters of sexual and reproductive health.
Speaking under this year’s global theme, “Empowering Young People to Create the Families They Want in a Fair and Hopeful World,” TCI and its partners are urging government leaders, civil society, and donors to place youth at the centre of policies and programs that will shape the nation’s demographic and economic trajectory.
The Country Director of TCI Nigeria Hub, Dr Taiwo Johnson, said that youth empowerment through access to accurate reproductive health information and services is both a rights issue and a development imperative.
He said empowering young people with knowledge and access to services is not just a health issue, but a right. “When young people are supported to make informed decisions, they become agents of change in their communities.”
Nigeria’s youthful population, over 60% under the age of 25 represents a tremendous opportunity for progress, if equipped with the tools to make informed choices. Yet, despite decades of progress since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), many young Nigerians still face persistent barriers to reproductive healthcare, including stigma, misinformation, and lack of youth-friendly services.
TCI, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Bayer, is leading efforts to bridge these gaps through partnerships with local governments, health providers, and youth-focused organizations.
Its flagship initiative, Life Planning for Adolescents and Youth (LPAY), is now being scaled up in multiple states, offering comprehensive sexuality education, confidential services, and community outreach.
“This World Population Day is a reminder that young people’s needs must not be sidelined,” said Abiodun Ajayi, LPAY Champion and Executive Director of Public Health Sustainable Advocacy Initiative (PHSAI). We need investments in education, in health systems, and in policies that give us the tools to thrive.”
TCI’s approach focuses on sustainability and local ownership. The initiative works with self-selected states and local government areas, providing coaching, technical support, and guidance to integrate successful family planning models into existing structures. Health workers are trained to deliver respectful, confidential care, while community influencers are helping normalize conversations about contraception in traditionally conservative settings.
Organizations like Development Communications Network (DevComs), a media-focused non-profit supported by TCI, are also playing a key role in driving the conversation. Through advocacy, media engagement, and capacity building, DevComs has helped break taboos surrounding adolescent sexuality and promote a more informed, rights-based narrative.
Suliyat Eletu, Communications Program Officer at DevComs said that the choices of young people matters and they should be at the centre of development, she added with the right support, they will lead the way toward healthier families and thriving communities.
On this year’s World Population Day, TCI is renewing its call to policymakers, civil society actors, the media, and development donors to deepen investments in youth health and wellbeing.
They argue that equitable access to family planning is not only a cornerstone of public health but a foundation for a more sustainable and inclusive Nigeria.
World Population Day: TCI Urges More Investment In Adolescent Reproductive Health is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
