Addressing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) barriers in Nigeria, By Hameed Oyegbade 

…it is instructive to note that the conference highlighted the necessity of collaborative efforts and strategic partnerships to overcome barriers to the enjoyment of sexual and reproductive rights. This collective endeavour underscores the importance of unified action in advancing the SRHR agenda in Nigeria, thereby striving for a future where every individual’s sexual and reproductive health and rights are respected and upheld. As such, rights, freedom and liberty of citizens must not be denied.

The conversation around sex and sexuality often offends certain people for different reasons. While some believe that it is a sensitive matter that should not be discussed in public, others run away from the subject because of their religious or cultural beliefs. But we cannot stay away from sex and sexuality as it is part of our lives and existence, especially issues around reproductive health and, most importantly, rights, in terms of freedom and liberty.

Arguably, for the first time in Nigeria, stakeholders converged and had conversations on issues around sexual and reproductive health and rights in the country. The first SRHR National Conference centred around the need to examine laws and how they affect access to health and rights for sexual minorities, key populations and other vulnerable groups. Members of these groups, advocates, civil society and rights activists, and the media, attended the conference organised by Lawyers Alert in Abuja, the nation’s Federal Capital Territory.

Themed “SRHR Culture and Social Norms within Communities,” the conference offered a platform for a coalition of small and medium organisations dedicated to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) that emerged through the Amplify Change grant facilitated by Lawyers Alert from 2018 to 2020 to, brainstorm and collectively seek solutions to SRHR barriers in Nigeria.

The discussions at the plenary and panel sessions considered the multifaceted challenges impeding SRHR progress, with delegates including key SRHR advocates, SRHR CSOs, the LGBTIQ+ community, FSW, and donors. Some of the pressing topics of engagement comprised safe medical abortion, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), female genital mutilation, LGBTQI+, HIV and the status of SRHR in Nigeria. There was equally information sharing and networking. The conversation brought to the fore the expertise of global, regional, national, and grassroots organisations; development workers, NGOs, and community-based groups.

At the end of the conference, the takeaways included the need to ensure massive awareness creation on SRHR, especially at the community and ward levels, using local champions to speak against norms and a culture that inhibits the rights of women to choice. Through community platforms, individuals could champion campaigns against harmful cultural practices, such as Female Genital Mutilation, and then support and encourage gender equality and women empowerment.

To achieve this, we must at all occasions and during interventions, emphasise the human rights of key populations and sexual minorities in all advocacy and intervention strategies. The SRHR movement in Nigeria should be strengthened through organisational and advocacy skills, reinforcing and establishing more inclusive and expansive platforms to amplify SRHR narratives and foster robust networking among stakeholders.

It is also imperative to encourage large and well established CSOs and agencies to always strive to include small and medium-sized SRHR grassroots organisations in their work and provide sub-grants to enable them to acquire new knowledge and skills. Also, it’s necessary to developing a comprehensive SRHR National Advocacy Plan to guide strategic advocacy efforts and effectively address SRHR challenges using the SRHR movement platform.

In the spirit of fairness, the Nigerian government must repeal laws and policies that undermine sexual and reproductive health rights, freedom of expression and assembly. Government should enact laws that recognise gender and sexual diversity. For instance, government should repeal Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, and other ancillary laws that inhibit the domestication and application of international SRHR treaties, conventions and protocols, that Nigeria has signed and ratified.

Civil societies should sustain proactive and deliberate engagement with government entities, such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), and National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NTBLCP), to ensure quality response to SRHR issues. This will also enhance the present inadequate support from the government.

In conclusion, it is instructive to note that the conference highlighted the necessity of collaborative efforts and strategic partnerships to overcome barriers to the enjoyment of sexual and reproductive rights. This collective endeavour underscores the importance of unified action in advancing the SRHR agenda in Nigeria, thereby striving for a future where every individual’s sexual and reproductive health and rights are respected and upheld. As such, rights, freedom and liberty of citizens must not be denied.

Hameed Oyegbade, a journalist and public affairs analyst, writes from Osogbo.