By FABIAN EKERUCHE

The Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF) has unveiled its WeNaija Campaign 5.0, the fifth edition of its national youth campaign.

The event will run from Sept. 8 to Nov. 8, with the theme: “Own Your Choice”.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Managing Director of NSSF, Dr Fejiro Chinye-Nwoko, on Friday in Lagos.

Chinye-Nwoko said that the 2025 campaign would focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) specifically, the risks of incomplete or abstinence-only sex education.

She added that the campaign would be geared toward equipping young Nigerians with the facts, tools and confidence to make safe and informed choices.

“Nigeria’s young people deserve accurate, judgment-free information about their bodies, rights and health options.

“WeNaija 5.0 is about moving beyond silence and stigma to evidence, empathy and empowerment, so that the next generation can truly own their choices and their future,” Chinye-Nwoko said.

She noted that WeNaija had spotlighted urgent health issues, including COVID-19, HPV vaccination and drug abuse, mobilising youths to create audio and visual storytelling that sparked public dialogue and spurred action.

According to her, the 2025 edition will reframe SRH as both a health and youth-empowerment imperative.

On the importance of conversation on SRH, the managing director said that data showed that gaps in SRH education fuelled harmful outcomes for young people.

She listed the outcomes to include high rates of adolescent pregnancy, unsafe abortions and STI/HIV risk exacerbated by stigma, misinformation and other factors.

According to her, Nigeria’s unmet need for family planning remains significant, while adolescent contraceptive use is low and youth-friendly services often hard to access.

“These realities underline the urgency of centering comprehensive, age-appropriate SRH that covers sexual maturity, consent, the benefits of abstinence and safer-sex practices, access to services, and mental-emotional well-being,” Chinye-Nwoko said.

She said that participants in the competition should be between 18 years and 35 years, and would create videos of two to three minutes that would explain SRH and why comprehensive education should matter.

She also said that such videos show how incomplete education had affected young people medically, psychologically, socially or economically.

She added that the videos should share youth-led ideas on delivering SRH education that would be practical, respectful and helpful.

She said interested participants should register for the competition on www.nigeriasolidarityfund.ng.

The managing director said that WeNaija YouthFest and Winners would be showcased on Dec. 6. (NAN)