Group Advocates for Sanitary Banks in Nigerian Schools

Chibuzo Okerek, representing the Erudit Growth Advancement Foundation Africa, called for the Nigerian federal government to establish sanitary banks in public junior and senior secondary schools. This demand was made during a legislative advocacy session in Abuja, part of the Hope Aliv Initiative, in commemoration of the 2026 International Day of the African Child.

Okerek highlighted that millions of children in Nigerian communities lack access to safe drinking water and basic hygiene kits, which undermines their right to basic education. He criticized the slow implementation of the national safe school initiative and noted the rising cases of mass student abductions, which traumatize pupils and force vulnerable parents to withdraw their children from school.

Okerek emphasized that the current security architecture is flawed and heavily centralized, affecting children's safety. The program included a mock children's parliament where students debated issues related to water, sanitation, and hygiene, concluding with the distribution of educational hygiene materials to less privileged pupils.