Today, we celebrate World Population Day 2025 with a theme so timely, “Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world,”. As we join the world to commemorate this day, we can’t help but reflect on the power of choice, agency, and equity in shaping the future for young people, especially in Nigeria.

For too long, young people have been told what to do, when to do, how to do things, especially things that, yes, unfortunately, could determine the trajectory of their lives. Just imagine how scary it is or could be, for someone who most likely does not know you and will probably never get to meet you, having significant control of your life and the decisions you could or could not take, especially when it pertains to your body. It really is bonkers to say the least.

For us at Youth Network for Community and Sustainable Development (YNCSD), we believe that every young person deserves the right to make informed decisions about their bodies, health, and futures without fear, stigma, or barriers. 

Our work is rooted in the belief that when young people are empowered with knowledge, resources, and support, they can build the families and lives they envision. This belief is evident in our project design and implementation.

For instance, through our LINKS Project, we are breaking barriers for marginalised women, including sex workers and lesbian/bisexual/queer (LBQ) women, by expanding access to safe, self-managed abortion and sexual and reproductive health resources.

We have trained over 30 community leaders as peer educators, equipping them to share accurate SRHR information and combat stigma.  Stigma is a major barrier holding back young people from leading normal lives, and we are combatting it head-on.

Our Move2Act Project is accelerating advocacy to reform Nigeria’s restrictive abortion laws, because fair policies are the foundation of a hopeful world. We are engaging high-level stakeholders across CSOs and government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to amplify the call for safe and legal abortion access. We are also leveraging social media because real conversations happen there, too.

Quite recently, we launched a very cool campaign to amplify the voices of young people and improve their knowledge on self-managed abortion using art, yes, art. We painted, drew placards, shared stories and created safe spaces for young people.  

This World Population Day, we celebrate the resilience and leadership of young people rewriting the rules. Whether it’s accessing abortion care, ending harmful practices like FGM, or demanding equitable policies, their voices are driving change. 

As a youth-led organisation, we are proud to stand with young people because empowering young people isn’t just about rights; it’s about freedom. 

It is about the freedom to choose, to dream, and to build families our way.

Did I forget to say Happy World Population Day?