Schoolgirls benefit as alumni push menstrual health drive

By Chukwuma Umeorah

Schoolgirls across Nigeria are receiving menstrual hygiene support and education as part of a national advocacy campaign led by the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Abuloma Old Girls Association.

The initiative, launched to mark the school’s 50th anniversary, is tackling period poverty head-on through outreach programmes, reusable pad donations, and awareness drives across Nigeria.

Speaking at the Lagos edition of the campaign on Friday, the National President of the Old Girls Association, Itoro Clement Isong, described the initiative, dubbed the Circle of Unity, as both a celebration and a platform for impact.

“As a national association, we have the theme ‘combating period poverty.’ But each chapter has the opportunity to choose a topic they are passionate about.

“We started in Yenagoa with a focus on drug abuse, and in Lagos, they chose ‘50 Years on Legacy of Excellence for the Girl Child’ in addition to the national theme,” she said.

The campaign includes the distribution of reusable sanitary pads, education on menstrual hygiene, and strategic partnerships with organisations working in low-income communities.

Isong explained that period poverty, which affects over 500 million women globally, keeps many girls out of school due to lack of access to basic menstrual products, stressing that: “If we can assist them so they don’t miss school, then we would have achieved a lot.

“The more girls that we keep in school during their period days, the more they can add to their community,” Beyond advocacy, the association is also raising fund for infrastructural upgrades in the school. Projects include classroom renovations, smart classroom installations, and the construction of an anniversary park. This is even as she called for government support on the initiative.