By Chinedum Treasure
Millions of girls across Nigeria continue to face the painful reality of period poverty, stigma, and poor access to menstrual hygiene products, with many forced to miss school every month due to lack of basic sanitary materials and safe facilities.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria raised the concern in a statement issued ahead of the 2026 Menstrual Health Day commemoration scheduled for Monday, May 25, in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
According to the organisation, menstruation remains a major but largely ignored barrier to education, dignity, and health for many adolescent girls in Nigeria, exposing deep inequalities within the country’s public health and education systems.
AHF Nigeria said the event, which will feature a community-based intervention in Keffi, is aimed not only at raising awareness but also at confronting the systemic neglect surrounding menstrual health management in Nigeria.
The programme will hold at Victory Baptist School, Daddin Kowa, Keffi, and will bring together students from Flobam British Secondary School, Government Secondary School, and Government Junior Secondary School.
Officials from the Nasarawa State Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Education, and the State Focal Person on Gender-Based Violence are expected at the event. Civil society and health partners including APYIN, APIN, and NEPWHAN will also participate.
AHF Nigeria lamented that despite increasing global conversations around menstrual health, many Nigerian girls still lack access to sanitary pads, clean water, and private sanitation facilities.
“In many communities, menstruation is still treated as a taboo subject, forcing girls into silence, shame, and repeated school absenteeism. These challenges not only affect educational outcomes but also expose girls and young women to exploitation, poor health choices, and increased vulnerability.”
Speaking on the situation, said millions of women and girls across Africa continue to suffer because menstrual health is not receiving the policy attention it deserves. “Across Africa, too many women and girls still lack access to basic menstrual products and safe facilities, forcing them to miss school, risk their health, or resort to unsafe coping strategies,” he said.
“Menstrual health is not a luxury; it is a fundamental part of public health and HIV/STI prevention. Governments must remove taxes, invest in access, and break the silence around menstruation to protect health, dignity, and opportunity for all.”
Also speaking, said Dr. Echey Ijezie, AHF Nigeria Country Program Director (CPD), highlighted the global scale of period poverty and its consequences on vulnerable girls and women. “Globally, nearly two billion people menstruate, with about 500 million experiencing period poverty,” he said.
“These challenges can push vulnerable girls into transactional relationships or relationships with significant age differences, limiting their ability to negotiate safer sex and increasing their risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.”
Dr. Ijezie further urged governments to remove taxes on menstrual products and make menstrual hygiene materials more accessible and affordable.
Although Menstrual Health Day is globally observed on May 28 every year, AHF Nigeria said it decided to hold its commemoration earlier due to the national public holiday scheduled for the same date.
The event will feature interactive sessions led by menstrual health experts focusing on safe menstrual hygiene practices and the need to challenge harmful cultural silence surrounding menstruation.
AHF Nigeria also said boys and young men will be actively engaged during the programme to encourage allyship and reduce stigma in schools and communities.
The organisation disclosed that 150 students are expected to benefit directly from the intervention, with each participant receiving a two-month supply of sanitary pads alongside other support materials to improve menstrual hygiene management.
