By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
The Bauchi State Ministry of Education has expressed its commitment to supporting moves for the expansion of Health Club activities in Secondary Schools across the 20 local government areas.
The effort is as part of the move to improve adolescent health and wellbeing of the Students.
The commitment was made by the Commissioner of Education, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, during an advocacy visit by the implementing partners Better Life Restoration Initiative (BERI) on the up-scaling of the Health Club Manual to additional schools in Bauchi.
The programme is being implemented by Plan International Nigeria, through the ASPIRE Project, with funding by Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
During the visit, the Commissioner said that the Ministry would work closely with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and development partners to determine a feasible number of schools that would benefit from the expansion.
He also assured that the Ministry would provide the necessary support within available resources to ensure the successful implementation of the programme.
According to him, “The Ministry will do all within its powers and available resources to support the scaling up of the manual. Looking at the pedigree of the partners and funders, the Ministry will also play its role in the advocacy component of the project.”
During a media dialogue earlier, Executive Director of BERI, Nkem Ogbonna, said that, “Adolescents make up a significant part of Nigeria’s population and require accurate information, life skills, and supportive learning environments to make informed decisions regarding their
health and wellbeing.”
During the media dialogue
According to him, “The Health Club Manual provides a standardized framework for educating learners on personal hygiene, menstrual hygiene management, life skills, gender
equality, prevention of gender-based violence, and sexual and reproductive health.”
He stressed that, “Expanding
its implementation to more schools will increase access to these essential services and information.”
Nkem Ogbonna added that, “Furthermore, strengthening age-appropriate sexuality education through schools and health clubs will equip adolescents with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the changes they experience during adolescence, make responsible decisions, prevent early and unintended pregnancies, reduce vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections, and promote healthy relationships.”
“We therefore request the Ministry to: Approve and support the scale-up of the Health Club Manual to at least 500 additional schools across Bauchi State
Strengthen the integration of age-appropriate sexuality education into school curricula and Health Club activities and support the training and capacity building of teachers and Health Club coordinators on the effective use of the manual and delivery of sexuality education,” he added.
BERI also wants the Ministry to facilitate the provision of relevant learning materials and resources to schools, strengthen monitoring and supervision mechanisms to ensure quality implementation, promote collaboration with development partners and relevant stakeholders to support the expansion and effectiveness of these interventions.”
The BERI ED concluded that,”By supporting these actions, the Ministry will contribute significantly to improving adolescent health, well-being, school retention and educational outcomes while empowering young people with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive and reach full potentials.”
Earlier, BERI Programme Officer, Muniratu Musa, appealed to the Ministry of Education to approve the expansion of Health Club activities and strengthen age-appropriate sexuality education in schools across the state.
She explained that the project aims to improve the wellbeing of adolescents, particularly girls, by promoting access to accurate health information, gender equality, adolescent-friendly services and safer learning environments.
According to her, the Health Club Manual provides a standard framework for educating students on personal hygiene, menstrual hygiene management, life skills, gender equality, prevention of gender-based violence, and sexual and reproductive health.
Munirat Musa also said that expanding the initiative to more schools would equip adolescents with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions, prevent early and unintended pregnancies, reduce vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections, and promote healthy relationships.
She urged the Ministry to approve the extension of the Health Club Manual to at least 500 additional schools across Bauchi State, integrate age-appropriate sexuality education into school curricula and Health Club activities, and support the training of teachers and Health Club coordinators.
She also called for the provision of learning materials, strengthened monitoring and supervision, and closer collaboration with development partners to ensure the sustainability of the programme.
According to her, supporting the initiative would improve adolescent health, increase school retention and enhance educational outcomes while empowering young people with essential life skills.
During the visit the Commissioner was presented with the copy of “Teachers Facilitation Guide on Adolescent Health, School Related Gender Based Violence, Mental Health and Referrals Mechanism”.
Group photograph with Journalists after the media dialogue
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