As the world marks World Population Day 2025, Development Communications Network (DevComs) and The Challenge Initiative (TCI) have called on governments and development partners to prioritise equitable access to family planning services for young people.
Under this year’s theme, “Empowering Young People to Create the Families They Want in a Fair and Hopeful World,” the Nigeria-based media development organisation joined TCI, an initiative supported by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, to highlight the urgent need for investment in adolescent health and wellbeing.
In a statement released Friday, DevComs emphasised the importance of youth-centered reproductive health interventions in Nigeria and beyond, recognising efforts of the Government of Nigeria through the National Population Commission and global partners to advance the call for leaders to prioritise young people’s needs and voices in ensuring that youth have the rights, tools, and opportunities to shape their futures.
“We join the Government of Nigeria, through the National Population Commission, and global partners in urging leaders to put young people’s needs and voices at the center of development,” Suliyat Eletu, Communications Program Officer at DevComs was quoted as saying in the statement.
“Access to family planning is not only a public health imperative, but a cornerstone of sustainable development. Young people must be supported with the rights, tools, and opportunities to shape their futures. Their choices and dreams matter—and with the right support, they will lead the way to healthier families and thriving communities,” she added.
Thirty years after the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), progress has been made in reducing maternal mortality and expanding reproductive healthcare. However, millions of young people still face barriers such as stigma, misinformation, and lack of youth-friendly services.
“Empowering youth with accurate information and access to services is not just a health issue – it’s a rights issue,” said Dr. Taiwo Johnson, Country Director of TCI Nigeria, who also added that, “When young people are informed and supported, they become agents of change in their communities.”
TCI, funded by the Gates Foundation and Bayer, supports local governments across Nigeria to scale up evidence-based family planning solutions. Such platforms like Life Planning for Adolescents and Youth (LPAY), have been initiated by TCI to equip young people with comprehensive sexuality education, while also training health workers to deliver respectful and confidential services.
Across Nigeria and Africa, community-led programmes, youth networks, and health system reforms are actively bridging the gap between knowledge and access. Programmes like LPAY are being scaled up in several states, while social and digital media platforms are increasingly being used to challenge persistent myths and stigma around contraceptive use. Through the various interventions of TCI, 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.
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.
“On the occasion of the World Population Day 2025, we’re reminded that youth needs must not be sidelined. We need sustained investment in education, health systems, and policies that enable young people to thrive,” Abiodun Ajayi, LPAY Champion and Executive Director of Public Health Sustainable Advocacy Initiative (PHSAI) said.
