In a bid to ensure that the youths in school and out of school are equipped with sexuality education, Lagos State Government in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has organised a 3-day capacity building programme for instructors on dissemination of the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) Curriculum and the use of Teaching Manual.
The programme which held at tge Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), at Ikeja the State Capital, brought together participants from the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), Government Technical Colleges, Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) and Skills Acquisition Centres from across the State.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Pharm (Mrs) Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu, said, “this programme aims to give students the knowledge, attitudes, skills and values to make appropriate and healthy choices in their sexual lives. It gives young people accurate, age appropriate information about sexuality and their sexual and reproductive health which is critical for their health and survival.”
She added, “This programme is based on an established curriculum, scientifically accurate, tailored for different ages and comprehensive, as it covers a range of topics on sexuality and sexual reproductive health throughout childhood and adolescence. It contains 8 modules and 28 topics which are strictured and provides a framework that spreads across human development, sexual health, relationship, sexual behavior, society and culture.”
According to Mrs Oke-Osanyintolu, who was represented by Director, Administration and Human Resource in the Ministry, Mr Adewunmi Ogunsanya, in order to ensure that the CSE would remain relevant and responsive to the need of the youth in the society, a review of Curriculum was considered necessary in 2022 as it became expedient to change certain vocabularies and incorporate emerging issues among young people and people with disability to ensure that no one was left behind.
On her part, Head UNFPA, Lagos Liaison Office, Alexandrine Danzogbo said the Organisation decided to partner with Lagos State in order to help implement the CSE programme.
Urging the participants to further disseminate the information about CSE within their sphere of influence, Mrs Danzogbo said, “this collaboration between the UNFPA and MYSD is to help reinforce knowledge and competence of teachers in this issue. The achievement of the Revised Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is a landmark one. The expansion of the programme to those with disability is to ensure no one is left behind.”
In her remark, Assistant Director, Development Partnership Department, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Mrs Oshikoya Adekemi said, “the Comprehensive Sexuality Education is a success story because it has positively impacted a lot of young ones who were hitherto ignorant of what they now know about sexuality. The role UNFPA has played in this as a long standing partner in the task of imparting sexuality education is worthy of commendation.”