Targets improved healthcare access, confidentiality and referral services for secondary school girls
The Kogi State Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project has commenced the training of healthcare providers drawn from the state’s 21 local government areas to strengthen access to adolescent- and youth-friendly health services, particularly for girls in secondary schools.
Speaking at the opening of the training in Lokoja, the State Project Coordinator, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Oricha, said the initiative was designed to equip healthcare providers with the knowledge and skills required to respond effectively to the peculiar health needs of adolescents.
Oricha explained that the training, organised under Component 2.2A (Life Skills) of the AGILE Project, forms part of efforts to improve the health, well-being and educational opportunities of adolescent girls across the state.
According to him, the Life Skills component provides adolescent girls with essential knowledge on personal development, health education, reproductive health and the prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
He noted that the component also engages trained mentors to guide adolescent girls through the transition from childhood to adulthood, helping them identify potential risks, make informed decisions and develop confidence in addressing challenges affecting their well-being.
“The AGILE Project is designed to increase learning opportunities for adolescent girls, improve school enrolment and retention, and ensure that girls acquire education in a safe and conducive environment,” he said.
The Project Coordinator explained that the participating healthcare providers were selected from Primary Healthcare Centres located close to AGILE-supported secondary schools to facilitate timely referrals and improve access to appropriate medical services.
He stressed that the initiative would also promote inclusive healthcare delivery for adolescent girls, including those with disabilities and other special needs, without discrimination.
Oricha urged the participants to take full advantage of the training and apply the knowledge acquired to improve the quality of services available to adolescent girls in their respective communities.
He commended the Kogi State Government for its commitment to the implementation of the AGILE Project, describing the intervention as a significant investment in the future of adolescent girls.
Highlighting the project’s achievements, Oricha disclosed that 150 schools had been renovated, while approval had been secured for the rehabilitation of an additional 100 schools.
He added that plans were underway for the construction of 28 mega school structures across the state’s 21 local government areas.
The Coordinator further disclosed that 25,000 adolescent girls had benefited from Conditional Cash Transfers of ₦40,000 each under the project, aimed at reducing financial barriers to secondary education.
Also speaking, a representative of the National Project Coordinating Unit (NPCU) of AGILE, Mr. Abraham Sunday, said the training was intended to strengthen the capacity of healthcare providers to deliver services that are responsive to the needs of adolescents aged 10 to 19.
Sunday explained that although the Life Skills component provides school-based counselling, mentorship and health education, adolescents sometimes require specialised healthcare services beyond what schools can provide.
He said the project had therefore identified Primary Healthcare Centres close to AGILE-supported schools as referral facilities, making it necessary to equip healthcare workers with appropriate skills for adolescent-sensitive service delivery.
“Adolescents require extra information and knowledge. They need to be guided. Generally, young people don’t go to the hospital. But if providers are trained to receive and respect them, they will provide the needed services,” he said.
Sunday identified confidentiality, respect, trust-building and non-judgmental communication as essential principles in providing effective healthcare services to adolescents.
According to him, young people are more likely to seek medical advice and support when healthcare providers create an environment where they feel safe, respected and confident that their personal information will be protected.
He explained that the training would cover adolescent sexuality, pregnancy prevention, family planning and appropriate approaches to addressing sensitive health issues affecting young people.
He added that the initiative would help healthcare providers understand the developmental needs of adolescents and establish friendly environments where girls could discuss health concerns they might find difficult to share with their parents or guardians.
In her remarks, the Reproductive Health Coordinator, Kogi State Ministry of Health, Dr. Grace Afolabi, described the training as an important intervention aimed at strengthening adolescent healthcare services at the primary healthcare level.
Afolabi said the programme was designed to build the capacity of healthcare personnel who would serve as Adolescent and Youth-Friendly Health Services Desk Officers in selected Primary Healthcare Centres across the state.
She explained that the initiative would make healthcare facilities more accessible, affordable and responsive to the needs of adolescent girls, particularly those attending nearby secondary schools.
According to her, the training would help create youth-friendly healthcare environments where adolescents could access appropriate services without fear of stigma, discrimination or embarrassment.
She further disclosed that the AGILE Project had established Safe Spaces in mapped secondary schools, where adolescent girls receive guidance from trained counsellors and mentors on life skills, reproductive health and other issues affecting their development.
Afolabi explained that Primary Healthcare Centres located close to the participating schools had also been mapped to provide referral services whenever adolescent girls required professional medical attention.
She expressed optimism that the initiative would strengthen collaboration between schools and healthcare facilities while improving access to essential health services for adolescent girls across Kogi State.
The training brought together healthcare providers from the 21 local government areas and featured sessions on adolescent sexuality, pregnancy prevention, family planning, confidentiality, effective communication, safeguarding and the management of sensitive adolescent health concerns.
The initiative is expected to strengthen school-to-health-facility referral arrangements and promote accessible, respectful and adolescent-responsive healthcare services in communities benefiting from the Kogi AGILE Project.
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