On August 15, 2025, Nigeria’s government officially validated its first-ever National Policy on Menstrual Health & Hygiene Management (MHHM 2025–2030). The policy sets an ambitious goal: by 2030, no one who menstruates in Nigeria should have to choose between managing their period and going to school, working, or living with dignity. According to Vanguard News and Premium Times Nigeria, the policy is the first national-level effort to make menstrual health a priority in schools, workplaces, and communities.
This isn’t just about “girls and women.” It’s about all people who bleed: adolescents in classrooms, people with disabilities navigating inaccessible toilets, those in displacement camps, queer and trans people who are often invisible in health policy, and workers in markets and offices. Here’s why the new policy matters, and what it can change if Nigeria follows through.
What People Who Menstruate Go Through
For many students, school facilities themselves are barriers. UNICEF Nigeria reports that most schools lack running water, soap, and proper toilets. In some cases, toilets have broken doors or no locks, making it unsafe or humiliating to change materials. One case study shared by UNICEF (“Why Hauwa no longer misses school”) describes a student who frequently skipped classes because she had no pads and no safe place to manage her period.
The situation extends beyond schools. A 2023 study in Cross River State published on PubMed Central (PMC) found that adolescents often miss school during menstruation due to lack of products, inadequate WASH facilities, and fear of ridicule. For people in low-income households or displaced communities, commercial pads are simply too expensive. Nigeria Health Watch reports that many rely on cloth, tissue paper, or other improvised materials, often leading to leaks, discomfort, and sometimes infections.
The stigma attached to menstruation compounds these challenges. According to a Mailman School of Public Health report, many people who bleed stay away from work or social activities if they fear being mocked or exposed. For marginalized groups, such as people with disabilities, or trans and non-binary people, exclusion is even deeper, since facilities and education rarely acknowledge their realities.
These experiences show that menstruation is not just a personal issue, it’s a barrier to dignity, health, and opportunity.
What the New Policy Commits To
According to Vanguard News, the MHHM 2025–2030 policy lays out several commitments:
- Making products affordable and accessible. The new Tax Reform Act includes waivers on sanitary towels to reduce costs, particularly for rural areas and internally displaced persons.
- Improving WASH infrastructure. The policy acknowledges that only 11% of Nigerian schools currently have basic WASH facilities (Vanguard News). It promises clean toilets, private changing spaces, safe disposal, and reliable water and soap in schools and public places.
- Reducing stigma through education. According to Premium Times Nigeria, the policy was drafted after consultations in all six geopolitical zones, ensuring local voices, including marginalized communities, were heard. It includes breaking myths, teaching menstrual health in schools, and promoting open conversations.
- Prioritizing marginalized groups. From rural villages to displacement camps, the policy explicitly names people who menstruate in underserved areas, seeking to reduce inequities.
Why It Matters for Everyone Who Menstruates
If properly implemented, here’s what this could mean:
- For students: Fewer missed school days. Studies like the one in Cross River (PMC, 2023) show that absenteeism drops when people have both products and safe facilities.
- For workers and caregivers: Lower costs and better infrastructure mean people no longer have to choose between buying food and buying pads, or risk infections from unsafe alternatives.
- For people in displacement camps: Researchers Without Borders note that safe menstrual management in crises reduces health risks and restores dignity.
- For people with disabilities: Accessible toilets and targeted education prevent exclusion.
- For other people who bleed: Using inclusive language in policy, and training service providers, helps reduce invisibility and stigma.
Ultimately, it benefits society as a whole. With fewer days lost to shame or illness, and with more people able to study and work without interruption, Nigeria’s economy and social fabric both grow stronger.
What Still Needs to Happen
The policy is promising, but Premium Times Nigeria notes that much depends on how it is funded and implemented. Challenges include:
- Sustained budgets at federal, state, and local levels to keep supplies flowing and facilities maintained.
- Local adaptation so that communities in the North-East facing conflict, or remote villages in the South-South, aren’t left behind.
- Data collection that tracks access to safe products, absenteeism rates, stigma reduction, with disaggregated data on region, disability, income, and gender identity.
- Community education to change deep-seated norms, involving teachers, caregivers, traditional and religious leaders.
Conclusion
Nigeria’s first National Menstrual Health & Hygiene Policy is more than a policy document, it’s a recognition that menstrual health is a human right. By tackling affordability, infrastructure, stigma, and inclusivity, it offers a pathway to dignity for every person who menstruates.
As UNICEF Nigeria has emphasized, managing your period should never be a privilege. With strong political will and grassroots implementation, this policy could transform lives, ensuring that by 2030, menstruation is no longer a reason to miss school, skip work, or suffer in silence.
Written By: Victory Wekulom
Victory Wekulom is a writer and communications professional passionate about storytelling for social change. They currently serve as the Media and Communications Assistant at IGE-SRH and contribute to the community, where they use words to amplify gender justice, queer advocacy, and community voices. Their writing blends clarity, heart, and a deep commitment to centering underrepresented perspectives.
