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From Sola Ojo, Abuja
Stakeholders in Kaduna State have called for the establishment of pad banks in schools to address period poverty and ensure girls do not miss classes due to lack of sanitary products.
The call was made during the commemoration of the 2026 World Menstrual Hygiene Day with the theme, ‘Together for a Period-Friendly World’, organised by Women Initiative for Sustainable Environment (WISE) in collaboration with One Tribe Initiative in Narayi, Kaduna.
Executive Director of One Tribe Initiative, Magdalene Habiba Musa, said schools should provide emergency access to sanitary products for girls.
“One way we can advocate for a period-friendly world is to create awareness around menstruation and debunk myths and taboos surrounding periods.
“We still have communities where menstruation is not openly discussed, and that silence affects solutions to period poverty,” she said.
She noted that many girls experience unexpected menstruation during school hours without access to sanitary products, affecting confidence, hygiene and learning.
Founder and Executive Director of WISE, Mrs Olanike Olugbodi Daramola, said worsening economic realities have made disposable sanitary pads increasingly unaffordable.
“Disposable sanitary pads are becoming too expensive for many households. We imagined how many girls and women would suffer because they cannot afford them,” she said.
She disclosed that the organisation had trained 40 women leaders in producing reusable sanitary pads to improve affordability and environmental sustainability.
According to the organisers, the initiative adopted a train-the-trainer model to ensure wider community impact.
Students and the proprietress of Spovep Kiddiz Academy, Narayi, Kaduna, Ms Esther Oboro, commended the organisers for choosing the school for the programme.
One of the students, Angela Chigozie, who won a one-year tuition scholarship during a spelling competition, called for more awareness programmes in schools.
“We are waiting for our proprietress to teach us how to make reusable pads so some of us can explore both its use and business opportunities,” she said.
