By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
The Kwara State Government has stressed the need for a more robust adolescent and youth-friendly healthcare service delivery as a vital strategy to enhance health-seeking behaviour among adolescent girls in the State.
The State Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, stated this in Ilorin, the state capital, at the opening of a 3-Day training for adolescent desk officers in Primary Health Care (PHC) centres linked to the 100 schools participating in the Life Skills Programme of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project.
The Commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Rebecca Bake Olanrewaju, said: “Adolescence marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. During this critical stage, adolescent girls need all the support they can get from counsellors, health workers and caregivers to help guide their choices and prevent avoidable mistakes.”
In his remarks, the State Project Coordinator, Kwara AGILE, Mr. Adeshina Salami, lauded Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his unwavering support for education, healthcare, and the development of adolescent girls, noting that his commitment has greatly facilitated the successful implementation of the AGILE Project’s mandate.
On his part, the Life Skills Lead from the National Project Coordinating Unit (NPCU), Abuja, Mr. Abraham Sunday, emphasised the multi-sectoral components of the AGILE project as it cuts across education, health, communication, digital development, social protection, environment, among others.
He added: “We believe it is important for our healthcare providers to recognise that adolescents deserve dedicated, high-quality care within our health facilities. While provisions often exist for children and adults, this critical age group is frequently overlooked.
“Adolescents need to feel seen, heard, and understood, not judged. They want to engage with providers as trusted allies, not as authority figures. This is why we felt it necessary to organise this vital training.”
The Guidance and Counseling (G&C) Lead from the NPCU, Madam Grace Jackson, emphasised the important role of healthcare workers in health promotion and awareness, stressing the importance of regular training and retraining to keep them equipped with up-to-date knowledge and skills.
Also speaking at the event, the Life Skills Officer for Kwara AGILE, Mrs. Aminat Yusuf, outlined the objectives of the Life Skills sub-component of the Project, adding that it aims to improve the mental capacity of adolescent girls, while equipping them with essential skills such as negotiation, communication, goal setting, climate awareness, digital literacy among others.
Facilitators at the training include a Public Health Physician from University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Dr. Bilqis Alatishe-Muhammed, an Adolescent Health Desk Officer from the Ministry of Health, Dr. Oladimeji Buhari and the NPCU Leads.
The training drew participants from Primary Health Care centers across the 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State who are nurses and Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs).
Directors from the Kwara State Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development present were; Representative of the Director of Education Planning and Research Development (EPRD), Mrs Bukola Olawoye; Director, School Services, Mrs. Eunice Abidoye; Director, Human Capital Development, Mrs. Oludare; Director, Quality Assurance Bureau, Alhaja Khadijat Lambe and the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Ola Hassan.
Participants, who spoke to newsmen on the sideline of the event, expressed gratitude to the government for organ using the training and expressed optimism that it would inspire a fresh approach to engaging with adolescents seeking health services in their respective facilities.