Today’s young people are the Gen Z children who were born between 1995 and 2015. They were born into the era of social media and the internet. They are faced with many issues affecting their growth and holistic development. They were raised by busy parents and coupled with the socio-economic situation, parents struggle and strive to fend for the family – their children. Many of our young people are faced with issues such as pre-marital sex, multiple sexual partnerships, rape/incest, unplanned pregnancies and abortions, transactional sex, transgenerational sexual relationships (sugar daddy and sugar mummy), wet dreams and masturbation, internet sexual relationships, drug and substance abuse to mention a few.

Thousands of young girls are trapped in transactional sex work, forced to exchange their bodies for basic needs like food, shelter, and education. Many engage in risky sexual behaviours from unprotected sexual activities to deadly adventures because of money, gifts, examination marks, suitable postings, employment and survival such as food to eat. More teenage girls engage in risky sexual behavior, leading to unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). These issues have become a menace in the society owing to a number of reasons/factors. Lack of access to sexual information can pose significant risks to teenage children, particularly girls, who may be more vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse. Many of our girls have been victims of ritualists and some have been used diabolically, but just living without any value left in them.

Transactional sex is a term that refers to sexual relationships that are motivated by financial or material gain. In Nigeria, many young girls are forced to engage in transactional sex due to poverty, lack of education, and limited economic opportunities. These girls are often vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, and their health and well-being are at risk. Transactional sex is a significant problem in Nigeria, especially among adolescents and young girls. Poverty is one of the major factors that drive girls into transactional sex. These girls may come from poor families, and have limited economic opportunities. They may not have access to education or job opportunities, making transactional sex one of the few ways they can earn money to survive.

These put young girls at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies. Many of these girls lack access to healthcare and reproductive services, which increases their risk of STIs and makes it difficult to prevent unintended pregnancies. They grew without any form of sexuality education from parents, older siblings, religious leaders or teachers. Instead, they are provided with fake information such as “if you allow any man to touch you, you will get pregnant”, “if you have sex and stand up immediately, you cannot get pregnant”, “having sex only once cannot make one pregnant” to mention a few. These are not scientifically correct information for young girls who these days will go to find out on the internet if what mummy said is true or not.

As much as the internet has its advantages, the internet and social media are now breeding grounds for sexual predators and fraudsters, and without proper education and awareness, teenage girls may be more susceptible to online exploitation. Absence of youth-friendly health care and support services make girls feel afraid or ashamed to seek help in cases of sexual exploitation or abuse in government facilities. The negative impacts of the internet these days include cyberbullying and online harassment, exposure to harmful and inappropriate contents, online predators and sexual exploitations, body shaming and beauty standards, comparison and decreased self-esteem, privacy and safety concerns, addiction and decreased physical activity and impact on mental health and wellbeing.

I always blame the government and parents for not putting systems in place to ensure that children and young people are provided with basic facts on sexuality education before they become addicted. Sex education is being misunderstood by parents and government stakeholders including our religious leaders. Sex education is not sexual Intercourse education. The term sex here is the biological identification of male and female.  So, the totality of all you need to know from birth till death, being a male or being a female is called sex education. What we don’t have, we can’t give. Parents need to be trained on modern day parenting and understanding the internet/social media languages by our children. The misconception about sex education has affected many government representatives and stakeholders in Education sector to allow sex education in our schools till recently and we were made to change the name before it was accepted. Now teachers have been trained on how to mainstream sex education into the classroom teachings of the students by the Ministry of Education and SUBEBs across the country. However, the trained teachers have retired, some transferred to another school where his or her services are not needed.

As a way forward, parents need to maintain open and honest dialogue with our teenager about sex, relationships, and boundaries, set clear rules and consequences while explaining the reasoning behind them. They need to monitor and supervise – keep an eye on our teenager’s activities, online behavior, and relationships. There is need to provide emotional support and validation to help our teenager develop self-esteem and confidence. Parents without good knowledge on what steps to take should seek out resources and information to help you address teenager’s questions and concerns. Parents also need to lead by examples, a drunk dad cannot stop his son or daughter from being drunk. Our teenagers learn from what they see. Parents need to support their teenagers in forming healthy relationships with friends and romantic partners.

On the other hand, Government and other stakeholders should invest in training of teachers and even parents through the PTA structures for effective implementation of evidence-based sex education programs in schools, covering consent, healthy relationships, and sexual health. Government must enact and enforce laws protecting teenagers from sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. And for those already surviving abuse, provide counseling, healthcare, and support hotlines for teenagers. There should be collaboration and partnership between government agencies, NGOs, schools, and community organizations to address the issue comprehensively through research to better understand the issue and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and programs. Other stakeholders, such as schools, community organizations, and religious institutions, can also play a crucial role in supporting parents and government efforts to protect teenagers. By working together, we can create a society that prioritizes the well-being and healthy development of our teenagers.

At Kids & Teens Resource Centre, we have been strongly committed to meeting the unmet needs of teenagers and young people in Ondo State for over 2 decades now. We have worked with them across the length and breathe of the State including those on the riverside – leaving no one behind. We have enjoyed the support of Government through the Ministry of Education and have brought a lot of international partners to the rescue of our young people. K&TRC work hand-in-hand with NYSC in Ondo State in sensitizing corps members during orientation camps, train the volunteer corps members as Peer Education Trainers and they in turn train students in schools. With our interventions, many young people have been saved. Many perpetrators of sexual abuse have been arrested and so many supported with educational and psychological services. When there is no sponsorship for interventions, behaviour maintenance is needed to sustain gains in funded project interventions.

By Martin-Mary Falana, CEO, Kids&Teens Resource centre.