The Policy Innovation Centre, an affiliate of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group ( NESG ), organized, a Stakeholders’ consultative workshop and inception meeting for the Nigeria survey on gender norms, attitudes, health, and wellbeing project in Ikeja, Lagos.
The Policy Innovation Centre (PIC) in collaborations, with the Ministry of Health set out to implement the Nigerian Survey on Gender Norms, Attitudes, Health and Wellbeing Project in Nigeria.
The project aims to address critical social norms impacting the health and well-being of very young adolescents (ages 10–14).
The project is in its inception phase and focuses on five thematic areas: Child, Early, and Forced Marriage (CEFM); Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH); Gender-Based Violence (GBV); Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination; and Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE).
The State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC ), Lagos State Command was at the event ably, represented, by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Corps Oluwaseun Abolurin, who delivered, the State Commandant’s goodwill message at the inception meeting of the project.
The Command’s PRO, Oluwaseun Abolurin said that the Command has made some arrests in matters regarding the five thematic areas of the project itemized, above, especially, on cases of defilement of adolescents between ages 10 to 14 and above.
Recall that the Lagos State Command on Tuesday, 11th February 2025, recently, arrested, one ( 1 ) Mr Wasiu Agbaraojo, male, aged 56 years, from Lagos State suspected, to have forcefully, had the canal knowledge of a minor ( name withheld ), female, aged 12 years old, who was hawking cooked rice at the Magbon area of Lagos State.
The suspect upon interrogation also willingly, confessed, to the crime without any form of intimidation or coersion. He has been handed over to the appropriate authority for prosecution.
In the words of the Command’s PRO, he affirmed that the Lagos State Commandant of the NSCDC will join other stakeholders, to collaborate, with the Centre to achieve the project’s goals, design, implementation modalities, and potential.
This approach will further help to drastically, reduce the influence and impact of harmful social norms on our very young adolescents within the earlier highlighted, core thematic areas.
The facilitators present at the meeting include; Dr Abiola Oyebanjo, Olubusola Oni, Mr Seyi Anwo and Dr George Olubukola held, on Tuesday,18th, March 2025, at the Aotel Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
The participants at the event were also drawn various Ministries such as; Ministry of Health, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, DSVA, Corporate organizations, NGOs, CSOs, Media and other Community-Based organizations and associations etc.
