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From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
A Non Governmental Organization. AIDS HealthCare Foundation (AHF), has urged Africa communities and Nigeria, in particular, to support and provide access to digital age-approporiate Comprehensive Sexuality Education, (CSE) for the youths.
The Country Programme Director, AHF Nigeria, Dr Echey Ijezie, made this call during a visit to the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Digital Economy Department in Abuja in commemoration of the 2023 International Day of the African Child, (IDAC).
A statement signed by the Advocacy and Marketing Manager, AHF Nigeria, Mr Steve Aborisade, and made available to our correspondent said the theme for this years celebration is “Switched Up CSE Access through Digital Empowerment.”
Dr. Ijezie, said the visit was to look at how the eight pillars of the National Digital Economy Policy (NDEP), will address the challenges of young people in supporting a digital environment that is sensitive to age appropriate comprehensive sexuality education.
He said as a way out, the NCC through its digital economy department should provide digital age appropriate CSE and other health interventions information to empower the youths.
According to him, youths are empowered with the appropriate knowledge, skills of assertiveness and understanding for them to feel the perils and all issues that might arise as they grow older in the society.
“So comprehensive sexuality education is important as long as it is age appropriate and comprehensive to empower the youth and make them understand what the facts are and live fulfilled lives that is risk free.
“This is the main advocacy and we are looking at different platforms to disseminate these information that it will form parts of conversation, education for the youths to be enlightened.
“Many of them need to be informed about some of these things that they hear, see and because they have access to different devices and sources of information, so it is important to educate them so they can make informed decisions.
“If information is hidden from the youths, they find it from other means, which may be wrong. So we are trying to make sure that the information given to them is appropriate, correct and useful to them,’’ Echey said.
Also speaking, Advocacy and Marketing Manager, AHF Nigeria, Mr Steve Aborisade, said there was need to equip youths with appropriate knowledge and skills to enable them navigate online actions safely, understand their rights and make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.
“We call on African communities to support age-appropriate CSE, empowering young individuals to make informed choices and contribute to national development.
“Comprehensive sexuality education covers critical areas including abstinence, gender equality, human rights, gender based violence, sexual reproductive health, ensuring young people have the knowledge to protect themselves and their wellbeing.
Aborisade said the NDEP provides a platform for the commission to support the wellbeing of young people which allows unfettered access to age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education.
He noted that despite the global and national technology shifts, Nigeria does not have a national data on the state of digital literacy, which has implications for education, empowerment, health information and others.
He, therefore called for the development of a national curriculum and programmes for digital literacy skills, youths friendly digital health intervention, and emergency communication centers, youth friendly toll-free health line to improve access to age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education.
The Welcoming the AHF team, the Head of Digital Economy Department, NCC, Olatokunboh Oyeleye, urged the organisation and other stakeholders to contribute towards incorporating the required digital training in the curriculum for the different levels of education.
She explained that “We focus on online safety aspect of it and if you go through the website, you will see a lot that speaks on online safety for children.
While she expressed the commitment of the commission to collaborate and contribute their quota to the sector, Oyeleye urged AHF to examine their collaboration and how it impacts on the industry and specify what roles they expect regulators to play to achieve the desired results.
According to the statement, the Acting Head of Department, NCC, Mr Hamisu, further assured the AHF that their suggestions would be articulate to the management for considerations.
