Have you ever thought about this before? As a young person, what comes to mind when you think about Leadership? Who do you see as a leader? Around you today, who are the leaders?

Just in case you are thinking too far, that face is what you see when you look in the mirror.

In Nigeria today, there is a lot of misconception about Leadership. When young people think about leadership, position comes to mind. That is wrong!  Moreover, its one of the reasons we have not made any tangible impact in our time. We keep waiting till we get to that position before we can do anything or instead of taking responsibility when things go wrong, we wait for those in position. It is soooo wrong!

We need to begin to see the true face of leadership, It’s you and I! We are the face of leadership and in case you have not heard, Nigeria is in her birthing stage right now. Young leaders are arising and taking their place in making sure Nigeria becomes the most desired nation to live in by 2025.

The face of leadership is that young person from the backside of nowhere who identifies a need in his school, community or wherever and takes responsibility for that need. That is the face of the new Nigeria!

Leadership has nothing to do with position rather in our ability to identify the needs of others within our sphere of influence and making an effort to meet those needs.

So the next time you think about leadership, it is that face in the mirror. Imagine having young leaders who are in their 20’s, taking charge in the area of governance in different states in Nigeria. If you do not take action now, someone else will. Nigeria needs you.

Remember, we all can’t be up there, we just need to find our place and function accordingly.

Has it ever dawned on you that every minute, a woman dies in childbirth? Do you know what that means? EVERY MINUTE!

Did you know that every day, 6,800 people are newly infected with HIV/AIDS &emdash; half are under the age of 25 and 60 percent of those are women or girls.

Do you ever think about how the health of women, particularly girls affects you? Imagine if health care facilities worked effectively in Nigeria….

In many countries, women are the primary providers for their families, not only taking care of the household but also working outside the home. Yet many do not enjoy basic human rights, including freedom from violence, quality health care, the right to education, the right to own land or property or the right to decide who or when to marry.

It is so sad that in this age where development has evolved, women are still suffering greatly in getting access to family planning and adequate help during childbirth. Why should a woman die giving life?

In Nigeria, the health care systems need a major transformation. Young people do not have access to adequate health care services and reproductive health information. Even though the government claims that youth centers exist, young people cannot access them and they definitely cannot afford to use a public health facility.

I have had the privilege to interview young teenage girls on how they access and use health care services. It's unsurprising they all confirmed that they cannot afford to go to a health facility for treatment but would rather visit native doctors or take self medications which endangers their lives. Even though they use these means of medications, they don't believe in its potency and just use them since they are readily available and cheap. Yet I wonder, isn't access to health care services and information a fundamental human right in line with the ICPD which Nigeria is a signatory to?

It just occurred to me that if my parents do not work for the government and they cannot afford to pay my hospital bills, I cannot access any youth friendly health centers, I could not get health care services. Shouldn’t there be some form of health insurance for young people particularly young women.

Imagine if we had health insurance for young people in Nigeria, then I can probably get braces for my teeth, get a pap smear done for cervical cancer screening, get my breast examined for breast cancer and get a general medical check-up and hope that other youths can freely seek for help and information that they need as well.

The need for a effective public health facilities that has youth friendly centers integrated into it cannot be over emphasized. Otherwise, a health insurance that works. It is possible!

Does everyone really count? I do not think so. What I see in Nigeria today is a people who cannot get basic necessities of life like access to health care, information, education, simply because they belong to a certain class which has led to the death of so many innocent lives.

Over half a million women die every year in childbirth or from pregnancy related causes. Virtually all (99%) of these pregnancy related maternal deaths occur in low income countries like Nigeria. Why should a woman die giving life?

It baffles me to see that some Nigerian political leaders are so comfortable in their positions while the purpose for which they were appointed in the first place suffers. Growing up, my idea of leadership used to be that of service; I understood that a leader is someone who serves the people and that everything rises and falls on leadership. It is so unfortunate that some Nigerian leaders do not understand this.

It is sad to see that some individuals are treated differently because of their HIV status. Why, aren’t we all the same? UNAIDS counts 51 countries , territories, and areas that continue to impose some form of restriction on the entry, stay and residence of people living with HIV based on their HIV status; 5 countries deny visas even for short-term stays; 22 countries deport individuals once their HIV-positive status is discovered. Some universities in Nigeria still deny students admissions into the university because of their HIV status. Although there is an anti-stigma bill, it still has not been passed to law.

Nonetheless, it was on 8 July that the Namibian government lifted travel restrictions for people living with HIV and aligned the country’s legislation with international public health standards. The reforms that took effect on 1 July also remove entry restrictions against people living with other contagious disease.

Restrictions that limit movement based on HIV-positive status only are discriminatory and violate human rights. “I am heartened by this announcement in Namibia” said Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS Executive Director. “HIV-related travel restrictions serve no purpose and hamper the global AIDS response.

This good is what other countries should emulate and advocate for in this season.



 

The 5th National AIDS conference in Abuja, Nigeria was a wonderful experience for me. It was themed Ownership and Sustainability. There were over 200 young people at the Youth Pre-Conference from different organizations and groups. The different plenary sessions were rich, creative, educative and Informative. It was also a very good avenue for me to network with other youth groups and allies.

Every young person had the opportunity to learn and share at the Youth pre-conference such that a communiqué was reach at the end of the youth pre-conference. The communiqué was presented at the National Opening where all the key policy makers were present and of course, the Youth Advocate Group fully represented themselves and other young people who did not have the opportunity to be present.  

The communiqué gave us the perfect opportunity to let policy makers know the things that are needful in addressing ASRH issues in Nigeria. Here are some of the key points listed in the communiqué 

“That the government should domesticate the entire international protocols, policies and resolutions on young people in Nigeria and Africa as regards to young people’s health and development.
That government should ensure adequate sensitization of young people on available policies and also ensure accessibility and complete implementation.
That government should take leadership in making needed resources available for youth health and development.
That all government programmes targeting young people should be all-inclusive taking into consideration their specific needs and peculiarities.

The other part of the communiqué was directed to young people. Here are some key points from the communiqué:
“That young people be involved in planning, implementation, resource mobilization at the national and international level.
That young people should utilize the opportunities they have to be informed and develop themselves.
That young people should take advantage of the media and ICT to advance advocacy issues.
That young people should take the responsibility, to familiarize themselves with policies and programmes that affects their health and development.
 
As we consider the theme Ownership and Sustainability, the 5th National AIDS conference brought to the fore the need for young people to get on board and be part of the change process.
 

W.H.O estimates that between 100 and 140 million girls and women worldwide are living with the consequences of FGM today. 

FGM is a harmful practice, a violation of women and children’s right. It’s not a cutting neither is it a circumcision it is a mutilation. Some say it helps preserves virginity and ensuring fidelity, others say it enhances fertility and infant survival and some even say its religion; completely barbaric in my opinion. 

Why do we do this to our girl child? Listen to the cry of seliat, a 10year old as she screams and wails because of the pain of MUTILATION; she is being cut in her vagina in the name of a so-called culture. The risks are high! Or is it the complications Rachael faced at childbirth and today she is no more or the social stigma Rakiya faces in her community if she doesn’t undergo the procedure or is it the swelling that leads to painful urination and defecation some women face. 

By all standards, it violates the rights of the girl child and women. If all are equal, why do some of us have a vital part of our sexual organ mutilated without our consent? Why do we have to be cajoled to allow mutilation? Why are our health endangered and our well being meddled with?

Let the World hear me today, Female Genital Mutilation KILLS, it has no advantage whatsoever rather it pose a high risk to our lives and other complications.
For the sake of those who because of FGM have lost their lives, their virginity, opportunities, sexual sensitivity or have dealt with various diseases that it causes, let us put an END to this. 

I never knew there was a large community of GBLTQ in Nigeria until 2days ago. A friend of mine had attended gays monthly party in a club, where the whole community of Gay people come together to celebrate themselves, dance, share and just do fun stuff together. Some lesbians attended too.

She told me she was amazed to see guys who were more in sync with their feminine touch even more than some naturally born girls, how they danced, their charisma and of course their dressing. She was totally blown away by the number of GBLTQ’s who were there and the caliber of people that attended as well. At the meeting; they also had a talk on HIV and how they need to protect themselves and a representative from an international agency giving the talk told them how it is that they are not accepted in the society and how they need to protect themselves sexually by using condoms and also making sure they know their HIV status…”

Presently in Nigeria, Homosexuality is a criminal offence punishable by 14years in prison and unfortunately, no culture supports homosexuality too. I am only imagining what it feels like, for the GBLTQ’s in Nigeria to live in isolation and denial because of fear of what the society might do to them. They look and dress differently during the day and they transform at night. I know it is something other GBLTQ’s in other part of the world are facing too but to me the fight for them to have their Rights, Respect and Responsibility is a great one. 

So far, in Nigeria, policies that support the needs of GBLTQ’s do not exist. To be sincere, I never thought GBLTQ would be able to build so much momentum as they have now, they even have a club, they have been able to build a community and there are even some top government officials among them but I just have fears of what the future holds for them
Nothing in Nigeria gives room for GBLTQ’s; not in the educational system, health system, political system… I cannot imagine a 13 year-old coming out in his school; that child might just be expelled from school. Actually, a friend of mine who is 20 years old was suspended from school because of lesbianism. Nigerians are still very in touch with their cultural roots and that I think is one the greatest challenge GBLTQ has.

Do you know female condoms exist?  NO

Have you seen one before?  NO

Do you know how it is used? NO

These are the questions I asked a 23 year-old sexually active female.

The issue of female condoms not being available and accessible in Nigeria is one that I believe should be addressed. In Nigeria, female condoms don't exist except in NGOs that are involved in SRH-related programs, and usually they only have samples for people to see what it looks like.  Just last week, I heard that free female condoms were being distributed in Washington DC- isn't that beautiful? I wish we could have that here in Nigeria.

In my opinion, apart from the fact that female condoms are safer than male condoms, having them available will help to empower Nigerian women. They can have the option of protecting themselves even if the man doesn't want to use a condom. Statistics show that unprotected sex is the leading cause of new HIV infections and other STIs.  Women are the most infected and affected. Could it be that if women are empowered, they can protect themselves from HIV, STIs, and unintended pregnancy? In some parts of Nigeria, sex has become a cultural thing in that women don't have a say in choosing how they want to have sex; the man decides whether to use a condom or not. Culture demands that the woman is expected to make herself available whether she feels like it or not. 

Cultural belief is one of the reasons why women are the most marginalized group. Culture says that women should sit at home and take care of the home; culture says that women don’t have a say in how they want to have sex, either with or without a condom; culture also says that girls don’t need to go to school. All these are realities in Nigeria, particularly at the grassroots level, which most of us don’t get to see or experience.

It’s important to highlight the need to make female condoms available as an undeniable option to women; it might just be the solution to reducing the rate at which women are being infected and affected when it comes to SRH.

The rights of young people in Nigeria have eluded them. How do young people stand up for their rights and responsibilities when they don’t even know what rights they have and are not given responsibilities?

How will my friend Kunle, a 9 year-old male who lives in a remote village, get access to education when the closest school is about 2 hours’ walk away?  Kunle doesn’t even know he has a right to an education. How will Ramata, a 12 year-old female, make her parents understand that the man they want her to marry is old enough to be her father, and that she doesn’t even want marriage, she wants an education? I bet Ramata doesn’t know that her right to choose should be respected.  Tell me how Sala, my 14 year-old neighbor who got pregnant at 12, and again 3 months after her delivery, then her mum took her somewhere to flush it, will experience the joy of being a child or even a teenager?  She probably doesn’t have any idea that she has a choice in the issues affecting her life. How?  I ask again, how will these adolescents we see on our streets hawking get a proper education or even a good life?  These guys probably believe that’s the life they deserve.

It worries and baffles me to see that a lot of young folks in Nigeria are living under these conditions and even worse. Until we reach this group of people, our work isn’t complete. They say that everything rises and falls on leadership; what that tells me is that leadership is failing in carrying out its responsibilities. These guys are Nigerians and their needs are included in the national budget and policies. How come they are not being reached?

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As we commemorate International Women’s Day with the theme “Equal rights, Equal opportunities; Progress for all”, we must bring to the forefront the challenges surrounding education of the girl-child, which remains a vital component for development in our society. 

Imagine your life today without an education. Imagine you in a world where you don’t have the right to go to school, not even a choice to consider education. What you see is the experience of so many females living in Nigeria, particularly in the Northern region, in which lies Jega Local Government. A lot of girls in this region didn’t have the right to choose education until the Local government chairman in Kebbi State enacted a bye-law, making female education compulsory. Isn’t that great news? After so many years of living in ignorance! 

Reports show that in a school of 150 students, only 2-3 are girls. ActionAID International (AAIN) discovered in their research that there was gap in favor of boys in school enrollment, retention and completion in these states. "The study on girls’ education revealed factors affecting girls’ education as cost of education, school environment, government policies and the culture of the people amongst others. There are no policies that specifically address gender issues thereby leaving room for the gender gap."

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The Youth Advocates Group in Nigeria had her first Campus organizing activity at the University of Abuja and it was a success. The theme of the event was on Stigmatization and there were over 250 students present. It was particularly interesting because Stigma and discrimination has been a major challenge for young people who are HIV positive and seeking an admission into the University. Quite a number of students have been denied admission based on their HIV status. So is the story of Gloria whom I met sometime late last year. She has been HIV positive for the past 9 years through unscreened blood transfusion and has faced all types of stigmatization; the worst I consider, is from her own mother, even till date. As the students watched a short footage on Gloria’s story and the challenges she grew up with, they couldn’t help but make comments and ask questions. It was interesting to know that some of them could feel her pain even though they hadn’t been in her shoes.

As I held the microphone to further explain Gloria’s story, to help them understand what stigmatization really is and how much damage it can do; I asked, Should Stigmatization be justified? Should anyone be treated differently because of their HIV status? Should students be denied admission into the University because they tested positive to HIV? In fact, what has that got to do with academic performance? What reason does a mother have to stigmatize her own very offspring?

Almost everyone agreed stigma is wrong and that it has no justification in all ramifications. However, there was this very student who said stigma can be justified and I asked how? He said that, denying a student of admission into the University for instance is for the benefit of other students. That because young people in the University engage in sexual activities, the HIV positive students can easily infect others. Just as I was about to respond to that, another student responded to that comment by explaining clearly, how that has nothing to do with denying someone a chance for a bright future, an education and liberty to express one’s self. Every other student supported as they cheered and clapped for her.

The Youth Advocates Group later informed the student about the Anti-Stigmatization bill currently at the National Assembly waiting to be passed into law and how important it is for them as young people to support that by putting down their signature on a sign on letter that will be taking to the House Committee on HIV/AIDS. The responses we got were amazing.

In all, they left with an experience. The experience of making their voice count and understanding that Stigmatization isn’t a choice, not even an option.

As a peer educator or someone working on SRH issues, have you ever thought about what you would do if you were told you have AIDS? Or you were told someone very close to you got infected somehow, will you blame yourself? Will you live in denial of the reality of your new found status? And for that person close to you, will you show them all the love and care? Will you? All these questions bring me to the story of a young lady that I know. She was actively involved in HIV/AIDS awareness and campaign. She was a trained peer educator who trained over 2,000 youth and tested people for HIV/AIDS. She was also a counselor on the hotline, educating people on Sexual Reproductive Health issues and stuff.

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A large percentage of young people in Nigeria attend Federal and State schools, some don’t even go to school and very few attend private universities. Right now the Academic Staff University Union (ASUU) has an issue with the Federal Government and has closed down all universities in Nigeria because government won’t accede to their request. ASUU wants a 100% increment in salaries and other entitlement. For this reason, young people are forced out of school because there is an issue with ASUU and the Federal Government.

 Nigerian students yearn for good education. We yearn to go back to school and stop being a nuisance at home and in the society. We yearn to go back to school because an idle mind is the devils workshop. We don’t want to be tempted to go into drugs, violence, and sexual immorality. We yearn to go back to school because there is a huge future ahead of us waiting for us to happen.  We want Education.

The sad thing is that a number of these government officials without calling names don’t put their children in Nigerian Universities. Its humiliating for young people to look up to the so called leaders  who can effect a change in their situation do nothing because they are not affected in any way, after all their kids are schooling abroad. Another trend in the political scene is that, some of these government officials put their kids in power or even make their kids replace them and family relatives such that the seat of power now becomes a family affair.

The future of young people in Nigeria is in serious jeopardy and if nobody does something, Nigeria will raise worse leaders than it has now. The social organization will become a breed of ignoramus and riffraff’s. In fact, as it is now the rate of social problems occurring currently in Nigeria has young people as the largest victims. Teenage Pregnancy for instance is increasing daily and I wonder, what happens to the children these teenagers give birth to, what kind of training will they get, what kind of life will they live. If young people are having adult issues, what will they do when they become adults? Our government is not aware that such things as strike even worsen the situation.

Sexual Reproductive Health issues that young people face in Nigeria and even globally is as a result of inadequate education to a very large extent. For example, research shows that lack of education, illiteracy or ignorance has been proven to be a cause for an increase in young people’s sexual reproductive health challenges e.g. STI’s, unwanted pregnancy, abortions and so on. Imagine the rate of young people that could be exposed as a result of idleness, caused by this strike.

Education is one of the most important aspect of a young person’s life which they shouldn’t be deprived of. I am a youth and I know what it feels like not to have adequate education and I don’t just speak for myself but for every young person out there who is affected by the strike.

The Nigerian government is being supported by various International donors and NGO’s to curb various issues that young people face in our country but it seems to me that the government has not prioritized education as a primary need thereby not putting arsenals in place to make the educational system run effectively. Also the abuse of power and resources is creating problems through issues like strike and corruption.   Education cuts across all aspect of a young person’s life especially in the area of their sexual and reproductive health but nobody cares. We have good policies, frame work and resources but the reality of all these things seems to elude our leaders.

I consider myself privileged to an extent when I think about young people in prison, on the streets, at home and in Diaspora. Oh great Nigeria! Protect your future, protect the younger generation.

Have you ever heard of the 3R's? It's an acronym for Rights, Respect and Responsibility. It's a global thing and should be a local thing. Young people at different levels both local and international are standing up to their responsibilities. They are reaching out to other young people and letting their government know they are initiators of global change, letting their government know that they are part of nation building, letting them know that they have a right and their government is responsible to them. It's a global thing!

Talk is cheap but we've gone beyond that! We already are making waves. We've had several meetings with Policy makers at the International level to make our voices heard, not only to get their commitments but also to share our own experiences. We could have been in the comfort of our homes watching Hollywood channel but we understand what is at stake; the future is.

It's Time for you and I to arise and amplify our voices in the matters affecting young people. Being a Youth is good but I like to be identified as a leader because; the fact that I'm taking responsibility makes me stands out. Youthfulness is a mentality of delayed responsibility and that's why we need to take responsibility; only leaders take responsibility.

Imagine what changes you could influence in your world if you will open your eyes to the needs of young people around you and do something about their challenges. Say something, give something, do something. You might think you are not infected or you are not a victim but the truth is you are at risk. In a nut shell, the world needs you. The world needs you to reach out and impact the world around you. Let's stand and fight for our rights.

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Me: Is it ok if we talk about sex and contraceptives

She: Bring it on! (Smiles)

Me: What do you know about contraceptives?

She: It’s used during sexual intercourse to avoid pregnancy

Me: Ok! That’s one of it. But really how effective do you think it is?

She: Very effective just that there are side effects.

Me: Like?

She: Irregular menstrual cycles, weight gain, may lead to infertility

Me: Are you serious?

She: Yeah!

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