World Population Day 2025: DevCom/TCI Task Government on equitable access to family planning services
By Ekemini Simon
As the world commemorates World Population Day 2025, Development Communications Network (DevComs) and The Challenge Initiative (TCI) have called on the government at all levels in Nigeria to ensure equitable access to family planning services.
In a press release signed and issued by the Program Director of DevComs, Akin Jimoh to mark the 2025 World Population Day, the two organizations called on policymakers, civil society, donors, and the media to step up efforts and investment in youth health and wellbeing by ensuring that equitable access to family planning services is not only a public health necessity, but also a foundation for sustainable development.
The Communications Program Officer at DevComs, Suliyat Eletu said that to get development dynamics right, young people must be at the centre of development. “Their choices matter. Their dreams matter. And with the right support, they will lead the way toward healthier families and thriving communities”, she said.
The release noted that millions of young people still face barriers including stigma, misinformation, and limited access to youth-friendly services.
The release quoted Dr. Taiwo Johnson, a public health expert and Country Director of The Challenge Initiative (TCI) Nigeria Hub as stating that empowering young people with knowledge and access to services is not just a health issue rather it is a rights issue.
“When young people are supported to make informed decisions, they become agents of change in their communities,” Taiwo added.
According to the release, Nigeria’s leaders must prioritize young people’s needs and voices in ensuring that youth have the rights, tools, and opportunities to shape their futures.
Commenting on the global theme “Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world,” the release added “we wish to recognize that efforts across Nigeria are gaining momentum in ensuring that adolescents and young adults have the information and resources they need to make informed reproductive health choices.
“This year’s theme resonates deeply across the continent, where youth make up a significant proportion of the population. Now more than ever, enabling access to accurate sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services is critical to achieving inclusive development outcomes.
“Thirty years after the historic International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which emphasized placing people at the centre of development, substantial progress has been made in expanding reproductive healthcare, reducing maternal mortality, and promoting gender equality.”
The release said that across Nigeria and Africa, community-led programmes, youth networks, and health system reforms are actively bridging the gap between knowledge and access.
They said programs such as Life Planning for Adolescents and Youth (LPAY), initiated by TCI to equip young people with comprehensive sexuality education, are being scaled up in several States.
The release noted that social and digital media platforms are increasingly used to challenge persistent myths and stigma around contraceptive use, health workers are receiving training to offer respectful and confidential youth-friendly services, while local influencers and community leaders are helping normalize conversations about family planning in traditionally conservative spaces.
The release stated that through its support for institutional capacity building, strategic media engagement, and community mobilization, TCI has proven to be a key player in the ecosystem of youth-centred reproductive health interventions.
“This World Population Day is a reminder that young people’s needs must not be sidelined,” says Abiodun Ajayi, , LPAY Champion and Executive Director of Public Health Sustainable Advocacy Initiative (PHSAI), based in Lagos. “We need investment in education, in health systems, and in policies that give us the tools to thrive,” Ajayi added.