Nation
Stakeholders Advocate Condom Use For STI’s Prevention, Unwanted Pregnancy
In commemoration of 2023 International Condom Day, stakeholders have called for the correct and consistent use of condoms for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) and unwanted pregnancy.
The call was made on Monday, in Abuja, in commemoration of the 2023 International Condom Day (ICD) Organised by AIDS HealthCare Foundation (AHF), in collaboration with various key stakeholders.
The stakeholders, among which were NACA, UNFPA, Education as a Vaccine, Association of Positive Youths (APYIN), Society for Family Health, among others.
The Tide’s source reports that ICD, which is celebrated annually on February 13, in conjunction with Valentine’s Day, has its 2023 theme “Always in Fashion”.
Nigeria Country Program Director, AHF, Dr. Echey Ijezie, said ICD was celebrated every year to ensure awareness was raised about the use and importance of condoms in view to reducing STI’s and unwanted pregnancies around the world.
Ijezie said the day was focused on a lot of creativity among adolescents and young people to raise awareness, demystifying stigma and misinformation on condom use.
“AHF have been commemorating ICD since 2009 and this is our 14th year.
“Over the years condoms have played a significant role in reducing STI’s and unwanted pregnancies and it has contributed significantly in no small measure in reducing these infections and the reduction of unwanted pregnancies.
“So it’s a message we propagate, it’s a message we teach and it’s a message we want everyone to use,’’ he said.
The Assistant Director, NACA, Dr Einne Okey-Uchendu, said ICD was set aside to create awareness on correct and consistent use of condoms among young people who cannot abstain from sexual activities to protect themselves.
“NACA implements programmes on comprehensive effective condom programming, we provide condom awareness on different activities especially for young and unmarried people because there is a high rate of HIV infection among young people.
“We are also using the social media platforms so they have information on condom programmes like where to get condoms and how to use them correctly.
“Tomorrow (yesterday) is Valentine ’s Day and a lot of people try to show love by having sex, my message to everyone is love wisely, engage in safe sex and protect yourself by using condoms correctly”, she added.
On her part, the Director for advocacy and Marketing for Africa Bureau, AHF, Ms Oluwkemi Gbadamosi, said ICD was an innovative way of promoting safer sex awareness and the importance of condom use.
She said condoms still remained critical and the only prevention tool for STI’s and unwanted pregnancy adding that people should not be ashamed or afraid to use them.
“ICD is strategically positioned on February 13, the day before Valentine’s Day.
“This is because we know that on valentine day there is a lot of conversation around expressing love in different forms which includes sexual activities.
“At AHF, we say regardless of how you choose to express yourself, with your loved ones, it is important to remember that the act of protecting yourself is an expression of love,’’ she said.
Speaking on awareness on condoms use, Gbadamosi said a condom culture survey conducted recently by AHF showed that Nigerians perception on condoms use was highly influenced by culture and religion.
“We still have high rate of infections particularly among young peoples, a lot of misconceptions about the use, were some people feel when they use condoms they do not enjoy sex, but that is wrong.
“People still have pleasurable sex, even with the use of condoms, also some people believe if a woman ask for condom , it means she is promiscuous , not realising that she is protecting herself and her partner.
She, however, called for the need to educate pharmacies, supermarkets and chemist shops in rural communities on encouraging people to freely purchase condoms and not feel judged.
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that 26,592 public school students failed the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, raising alarm across the state’s education sector.
The state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, during a ministerial press briefing yesterday in Alausa, Ikeja, said that “45.7 per cent of the 58,188 students from public schools who sat for the exams did not pass.”.
This failure rate comes despite the state government’s significant financial backing N1.577 billion was paid on behalf of the students to cover WAEC fees.
“Suffice to say that the sum of N1,577,794,000 only was paid by the state government as examination fees for 58,188 students who were captured for the year 2024 WASSCE,” Alli-Balogun announced.
In a bid to tighten accountability and avoid wastage, the Commissioner disclosed that biometric and image registration was carried out to accurately determine eligible students for government sponsorship for the 2025 WASSCE.
“The exercise successfully captured and registered 56,134 students as bona fide beneficiaries of the Lagos state government’s sponsorship for the examination,” he added.
However, the Lagos State Government rolled out a bold educational intervention – the Eko Learners’ Support Programme for WASSCE and NECO candidates – aimed at reversing the tide of academic failure in the state’s public schools.
Launched on January 14, 2025, the initiative is part of a broader commitment by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to equip Lagos students with tools for success.
“This forward-thinking initiative was designed to support and empower young scholars in attestation of the ministry’s commitment to advancing interest and management of the educational system in Lagos State,” Alli-Balogun stated.
Ekiti State Government says it has vaccinated 226,429 eligible girls in the State against the Human Papilloma Virus, an infection believed to be a leading cause of cervical cancer.
The wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, said the HPV immunization exercise, which she flagged off in the State in May 2025 was a great success, noting that it reached targeted communities and protected children against cervical cancer.
The governor’s wife made the disclosure in Ado Ekiti yesterday during a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting on the introduction of Measles Rubella vaccines in Ekiti State.
She said, “The introduction of Measles Rubella Vaccines is a very crucial step towards protecting Ekiti children particularly the target age group of nine to 14 years from diseases.
“I urge all women in the State to regularly scan their breasts. This can be done with the aid of the Mammography machine which is available at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti”.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, noted that the Measles Rubella vaccines would be rolled out nationally in October, 2025.
Filani said that the State was taking proactive steps to sensitise residents of the State before the date to ensure adequate awareness on the vaccines by citizens.
The Acting Ochimba of Ogida in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam, says peace remains paramount in the socio-economic development of Etche land.
Eze Azuatalam, however, called on his people to embrace and eschew violence at all times.
The Onwa Nagbara Oha made the call during the official commissioning of his palace at Ogida recently.
The epoch-making ceremony held at his palace saw the attendance of members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs; the academia; the political class; the clergy ; women as well relevant stakeholders within and outside Etche land.
The Ngbaragida of Azuafor re-emphasised the essence of peace and social harmony which he said open the window for meaningful development to take place.
He also sought the support and collaboration of his people to achieve the desired goals of development, progress and prosperity.
He noted that the peace being witnessed in the area must be sustained through collective effort, saying, contributions and sacrifices need to be made by all concerned to live in peace.
Eze Azuatalam said his aim towards building a better Ogida cannot be compromised as he and his people have no other place called home.
The Acting Ochimba said as part of efforts to build a better Ogida, he has instituted a number of development projects, adding that some of his kinsmen have been empowered through his hard-earned money and resources, saying, he will continue to assist the less- privileged around him.
He reaffirmed his desire to impact positively on the lives of his people as the engagement of the youths will help to reduce social vices in the area.
He thanked members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs for honouring his invitation.
He specifically thanked the Onyi Ishi Etche and Ochie of Etcheland, His Eminence E mmanuel Opurum for leading Etche on the path of prosperity, and described the revered King as a role model to the younger generation.
He said his fatherly role has been a source of hope and inspiration to his subjects.
The palace was unveiled by His Eminence with the assistance of Ochimba of Abara, Eze Jonah Nwala and other prominent Etche traditional rulers and chiefs while the Onyi Ishi Etche was represented by Eze Ken Nwala, Onyi Ishi Agwuru, Ulakwo/ Umuselem Clan.
The Onyi Ishi Etche urged other prominent sons of Etche to emulate the kind gesture of Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam as his magnanimity is being seen and appreciated by his people.
Eze Azuatalam also applauded the efforts of Prof Mekuri Ndimele, former Vice Chancellor of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in the growth of Etche land.
According to him, during Ndimele’ s tenure, a lot of development projects were sited at the institution, including the development of Etcheland and empowerment of Etche people.