Chukwu Obinna 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria has marked the 2025 International Day of the Girl Child with a strong call for improved healthcare access, education, and protection for adolescent girls across the country.
Held at the Community Commercial Secondary School, Ikot Oku Ubo, Offot, Uyo, in Akwa Ibom State, the event brought together government officials, healthcare advocates, and students to address key challenges facing girls, including HIV vulnerability, period poverty, gender-based violence, and child marriage.
AHF Nigeria’s Country Programme Director, Echey Ijezie, in a statement on Saturday said the foundation remains committed to tackling the multiple barriers undermining girls’ health and empowerment.
“We must confront period poverty, promote comprehensive sexuality education, and end gender-based violence and child marriage — all of which are key barriers to girls’ wellbeing,” he said.
The 2025 global theme, “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontline of Crisis,” celebrates the resilience of young women and calls for their inclusion in policy and decision-making.
Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Women Affairs, Inibehe Silas, in her keynote address, applauded girls’ achievements despite societal challenges, reaffirming government commitment to youth leadership development.
“Our girls are breaking barriers. We must continue to create opportunities for them to lead, learn, and thrive,” she said.
AHF’s State Coordinator, Ekemini Essien, highlighted the widening gender gap in HIV infection rates, urging sustained investment in education and reproductive health.
The event also featured motivational talks, menstrual hygiene sessions, and the distribution of reusable and disposable sanitary pads, hygiene kits, and educational materials.
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