United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), yesterday, said Nigerian adolescents are faced with multifaceted challenges and called for immediate and comprehensive intervention.

UNICEF stated this during a stakeholders’ forum on Adolescent and Youths Health Policies in Africa, themed, “Fostering International Partnerships to Contribute to Adolescents and Youths Health in Nigeria” held at Trenchard Hall of the University of Ibadan.

Chief of Health at UNICEF Nigeria, Dr. Eduardo Celades, explained that the crisis goes beyond substance abuse, encompassing issues like insecurity, mental health, malnutrition, and climate change.

He said: “We are facing a massive crisis affecting our adolescent population. One in ten girls in Nigeria is projected to become a mother before the age of 18, with a disproportionate impact in the North Central and North West regions, where 50 per cent of young girls, particularly in states like Bauchi and Gombe, are expected to have a child by the age of 18.”

Expressing concern over educational disparities, he stated, “Half of adolescent girls are unlikely to complete secondary school, and a staggering 43 per cent are already married. Of these, a significant portion has partners older than them, impacting their decision-making autonomy.

“In our analysis of the next five years’ strategy, adolescent issues were only mentioned 14 times in nearly 100 pages. This oversight has prompted a reevaluation, and UNICEF, along with the UN, has committed a one-billion-dollar investment in Nigeria over the next five years.

“In collaboration with university students, we are working on innovative approaches to enhance vaccine coverage. We believe that by empowering young people, we can drive meaningful results. Additionally, addressing mental health concerns among the youth, affecting 10%, is a priority in our agenda,” he said.

The Vice chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Adebowale, added that adolescents’ period is a critical period of life development during which each individual is navigating the complex path from childhood to adulthood, adding that the health and approaches adopted shape the potential and contributions of each individual to national development.

The chairman, Board of UI-Research Foundation, Chevalier Uduimo, explained that the programme focuses on fostering comprehensive and sustainable approaches to address the healthcare challenges faced by young people in Africa.

The chairman, represented by former Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Jide Idris, expressed concern that, when available, the services might be inaccessible due to embarrassment, shame or financial constraints, exposing young people to risky behaviours that could lead to pain, discomfort, disability, and, in extreme cases, unnecessary deaths.