The federal government has called for stronger action to transform harmful gender norms that contribute to early pregnancy, violence, exclusion and poor health outcomes among adolescents in Nigeria.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2026 Gender and Inclusion Summit organised by the Policy Innovation Centre (PIC) in collaboration with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG).

The summit, themed “From Agenda to Action: Making Innovations Count for the Last Mile,” focused on translating policies and innovations into tangible outcomes, particularly for underserved and vulnerable populations.

Delivering his speech, Mr Salako said gender norms shape how adolescents behave, access healthcare and education, express themselves and participate in society.

He said rigid social expectations based on misconceptions and unfair practices often limit adolescents’ opportunities and expose them to discrimination and other vulnerabilities.

According to him, harmful gender norms can reinforce discrimination, violence, early pregnancy, exclusion, and poor health outcomes.

“Transforming gender norms, therefore, matters because we must address norms that limit access to healthcare, safety, education and the ability to earn and make decisions,” he said.

Measures

Mr Salako said the federal government had made progress in strengthening adolescent health and advancing gender equality through policies, programmes and interventions.

He said the government had increased the visibility of adolescent health programmes, expanded access to adolescent sexual and reproductive health services, and strengthened the policy framework to address the health needs of young people.

The minister listed services covering family planning, sexually transmitted infections and HIV prevention, counselling and other sexual and reproductive health needs.

He said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had also developed the National Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy 2025–2030.

According to him, the ministry has integrated gender and adolescent health through a dedicated Gender and Adolescent Programmes and Adolescent Health Department under its Family Health Department.

He said the arrangement would provide a platform for addressing gender related barriers to healthcare, gender based vulnerabilities and the different health needs of adolescents and young people.

Mr Salako also cited the National Adolescent Health Policy, the National Gender and Health Policy, guidelines on healthcare for survivors of gender-based violence, and training programmes for healthcare providers as part of the government’s efforts to improve adolescent health.

He said the Adolescent Health Development and Coordination Committee serves as a platform for coordinating interventions and reviewing adolescent health programmes.

HPV vaccination, reproductive health interventions
The minister said the government had also launched a national Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign targeting more than 40 million adolescents nationwide.

He said the government was continuing efforts to sustain the campaign and ensure that eligible adolescents were reached.

Mr Salako also said the Strengthening Access to Reproductive Health by Adolescent Health Project was being implemented in Sokoto and Adamawa states, with lessons from the intervention expected to inform its expansion.

In addition, he said the government was working with stakeholders to strengthen the capacity of institutions and service providers involved in adolescent health.

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Study to guide policy

Mr Salako said the findings of a new study on gender norms, attitudes, health and well-being would provide evidence to guide government policies and programmes.

He said the study would provide nationally representative data on the social and gender norms influencing the behaviour and health outcomes of adolescents in Nigeria.

According to him, the study examined issues including child, early and forced marriage, gender based violence, sexual and reproductive health, HPV vaccination and women’s economic empowerment.

He said the evidence would be useful in shaping interventions across sectors, including health, education, social protection and economic empowerment.

“Evidence produced will be instrumental in informing policy formulation, programming and financing across sectors, including health, education, social protection and economic empowerment,” he said.

The minister said the government would continue to prioritise adolescent health while working with stakeholders to ensure that policies and innovations reached the people who needed them most.

He urged participants at the summit to use the evidence generated from the study to strengthen interventions and close gender and generational gaps affecting adolescents and young people in Nigeria.

Health policymakers, legislators, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders are expected to meet in Abuja in October to discuss how Nigeria can bridge the gap between health policies and their implementation.

The stakeholders will meet at the 2026 National Health Equity Conference scheduled for 13 to 15 October at the Nigeria National Merit Award House, Maitama, Abuja.

The conference, organised by OneBarrow International Limited, will focus on the theme, “From Policy to Impact: Care Coordination as the Core Engine of Health Equity.”

According to the organisers, the meeting will examine how stronger coordination across different levels of the healthcare system can improve access to care, quality of services and continuity of treatment.

The conference is expected to bring together policymakers, legislators, healthcare regulators, development partners, professional bodies, healthcare practitioners, civil society organisations, patient and community groups, academics and private sector representatives.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, is listed as the Chief Host, while the Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, Amos Magaji, and the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, are expected to attend as Special Guests of Honour.

Policy implementation

The Chief Executive Officer of OneBarrow International Limited, Yemi Ajao, said the conference would focus on how existing health policies and frameworks could be translated into action.

“​​Nigeria has developed important health policies and frameworks, but the real test is what happens when those policies reach the people and communities they are designed to serve,” Mr Ajao said.

He said the conference would examine implementation across the federal, state and local government levels, as well as collaboration among healthcare professionals.

According to him, better coordination among doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, health administrators and other professionals could help reduce fragmentation in healthcare delivery.

“Every healthcare cadre has a unique and complementary role to play. The patient experiences the health system as one system, regardless of how many professionals or institutions are involved in their care,” he said.

He added that stronger referral systems, communication and accountability would be important to improving coordination within the health system.

Health equity

The organisers said health equity would be another major focus of the conference, particularly the effect of poor coordination on people who face barriers to accessing healthcare.

The meeting will also consider the role of technology, data and citizen participation in improving accountability in healthcare.

Issues expected to be discussed include digital feedback mechanisms, transparency, access to health information and awareness of patients’ rights.

Mr Ajao said citizens should have channels through which they can provide feedback on healthcare services and participate in discussions about the quality of care.

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“Citizens must understand their rights, have meaningful channels to provide feedback and be empowered to participate in conversations about the quality of care they receive,” he said.

Expected outcome

The organisers said the conference would produce a post conference communiqué and an implementation roadmap containing recommendations and commitments from participants.

They said the roadmap would be used to support policy implementation, track commitments and strengthen collaboration among stakeholders.

The organisers said the meeting would seek to move discussions beyond identifying problems to developing practical actions that can be implemented across Nigeria’s healthcare system.