Teenage pregnancy remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria, with Kebbi, Zamfara and Kaduna states recording the highest prevalence rates among girls aged 15 to 19, a new national health report has revealed.
The 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report, released on Sunday in Abuja, showed that 32 per cent of girls aged 15–19 in Kebbi State have been pregnant, the highest in the country.
The report indicated that Zamfara and Kaduna states followed closely with 30 per cent each, while Lagos and Edo states recorded the lowest rates at about three per cent.
The findings were drawn from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2024, which assessed adolescent reproductive health trends across the country and highlighted stark regional disparities.
According to the report, teenage pregnancy increases the risk of maternal and child morbidity and mortality and contributes to social challenges such as school dropout among adolescent girls, particularly in high-risk states.
It also revealed a strong link between education and teenage pregnancy rates.
The report stated that pregnancy prevalence was 34 per cent among girls with no formal education, compared to four per cent among those with education beyond secondary school, underscoring the protective role of education.
To address the challenge, the report noted that the health sector expanded adolescent-focused interventions in 2025 aimed at improving reproductive health outcomes and advancing Universal Health Coverage.
It explained that investments were made to strengthen adolescent-friendly services in primary healthcare facilities, including access to family planning, HIV prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections.
The report added that community-based health workers were deployed to provide counselling and selected family planning services, helping adolescents in remote communities access reproductive health information and care.
It also highlighted improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene programmes in schools and communities to enhance adolescent well-being and reduce preventable infections.
On menstrual hygiene, the report noted significant progress, with 95 per cent of adolescent girls reporting they could wash and change privately at home, while 94 per cent used appropriate menstrual materials.
However, the report raised concerns about growing mental health and substance abuse challenges among adolescents, citing increasing use of alcohol, tramadol and cannabis, particularly among secondary school students.
It stated that adolescents and young people aged 10 to 24 account for about 32 per cent of Nigeria’s population and face a significant burden of mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety.
According to the report, government interventions are focusing on integrating mental health services into HIV care programmes, guided by national frameworks such as the National Policy on the Health and Development of Adolescents.
The report added that recent initiatives, including activities marking World Mental Health Day and International Adolescent Health Week in 2025, were aimed at strengthening collaboration among government agencies and development partners to address substance abuse and improve youth mental health outcomes.
It noted that the initiatives involved partnerships between the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and civil society organisations.
According to the report, some states, including Kaduna, have also introduced school- and community-based programmes to promote mental health awareness, build resilience among young people and support adolescents in managing stress and substance use.
(NAN)
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