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Summary
The Women Affairs Minister, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said 15% of Nigerian teenage girls are mothers or pregnant. She added that over seven million women and girls face undernutrition as the government adopts its first policy on menstrual health and hygiene.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has revealed that 15 per cent of Nigerian girls aged 15 to 19 are already mothers or impregnated by men.
She also said that more than 7.3 million adolescent girls and women in Nigeria suffer from undernutrition, with about 55 per cent affected by anaemia.
Minister Hajiya Imaan, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Maryam Keshinro, made the disclosure on August 20, 2025, in a statement released by the ministry. The statement followed a closed meeting where the Federal Government, in collaboration with stakeholders, validated and adopted Nigeria’s first National Policy on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management (MHHM).
The minister commended President Bola Tinubu’s recent approval of tax waivers on sanitary towels, describing it as a demonstration of his sensitivity to gender and public health matters.
She emphasised that the new policy marks a milestone in ensuring menstruation does not hinder the rights, opportunities, or well-being of women and girls in Nigeria. According to her, women aged 15 to 49 constitute about 25 to 30 per cent of the country’s population, underscoring the importance of addressing menstrual health challenges.
“Menstruation is a normal biological process that should never be a source of shame, stigma, or economic hardship,” she stated.
Also speaking at the event, the Acting Country Representative of Population Services International (PSI) Nigeria, Ms. Fifi Ogbondeminu, represented by Dr. Abdulhameed Adediran, described menstrual health as a human rights, gender equality, and development issue.
She noted that the adoption of the policy is a milestone toward ensuring menstruation is no longer treated as a silent burden but addressed with dignity, empathy, and urgency.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has revealed that 15 per cent of Nigerian girls aged 15 to 19 are already mothers or impregnated by men.
