SEXUALITY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA: ISSUES AND CONCERNS

Abstract

Sexuality education is one of the major public health interventions prepared to achieve optimal sexuality and reproductive health in a population. Sexuality education helps in improving knowledge, positive attitudes and empowering adolescents with skills in navigating sexual demands. The paper reviewed the efforts of Action Health Inc. (AHI), the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to localise the sexuality education programme in Nigeria. It further examined issues about whose responsibility it is to provide sexuality education and which program is more effective. The paper recommends that parents should initiate sexuality communication with their children at an appropriate age, teachers should encourage learners to be confident in asking questions related to sexuality, and curriculum developers should spell out the roles and responsibilities of parents, schoolteachers, community leaders and other stakeholders, among others.