By Our Reporter
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has revealed that more than 7.3 million adolescent girls and women in Nigeria suffer from undernutrition, with 55 per cent affected by anaemia.
Speaking at the validation of Nigeria’s first National Policy on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management (MHHM) in Abuja, the minister represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Maryam Keshinro, warned that poor menstrual hygiene and lack of affordable sanitary products further worsen these conditions.
She stressed: “It is a normal biological process that should never be a source of shame, stigma, or economic hardship. No woman should be hindered in her personal or professional development because of menstruation.”
The minister described the new policy as a milestone in protecting the rights, wellbeing, and opportunities of women and girls, while calling for collaboration among states, communities, and development partners.
Also speaking, Mrs Fifi Ogbondeminu, Acting Country Representative of Population Services International (PSI) in Nigeria, said the initiative marks progress in ensuring menstruation is no longer a “silent burden but an issue addressed with dignity, empathy, and urgency.”
