By Perpetua Onuegbu
Connected Development (CODE), a civil society organisation, has called on the Federal Government to empower women by upgrading its skill acquisition centres across the country to include the production of reusable sanitary pads.
Mr Hamzat Lawal, Chief Executive of CODE, made the call in Abuja during a strategic meeting on the organisation’s partnership with HUMANx Fashion.
It is for the distribution of reusable pads to girls in underserved communities.
Lawal said CODE had received a consignment of reusable pads and, leveraging its grassroots mobilisation and community networks, had commenced distribution across the six geopolitical zones.
He explained that the demand for the pads extended beyond schoolgirls to include their teachers and mothers, underscoring the widespread need for menstrual hygiene products.
“In Kogi, we distributed pads to students in three institutions, including the School of Nursing in Obangiri, Girls Secondary School in Okene, and Opogoro Community Secondary School.
“We began receiving calls from parents, especially mothers, requesting pads for themselves.
“This shows there is a broader need, and the government can support by integrating reusable pad production into skill acquisition programmes,” he said.
Lawal noted that the government owns the largest network of skill acquisition centres nationwide, which could be upgraded to train women and girls in making reusable sanitary pads.
“Women can be grouped into clusters within villages and communities to sew reusable pads, thereby creating jobs and ensuring a sustainable source of income,” he said.
He added that beyond policy frameworks, government support should include the establishment of “pad banks” at strategic locations.
“When women or girls are menstruating, especially while travelling or in emergencies, they can access a reusable pad discreetly, without stigma,” he said.
Lawal urged the government to revitalise its skill acquisition centres and partner with CSOs to achieve large-scale impact, calling menstrual hygiene ‘a national emergency’.
Also speaking, Mrs Gbemi Elekula, Founder of HUMANx and Dream Homes, said the partnership with CODE was rooted in cultural relevance, creativity, and community empowerment.
“Every pad we design contributes to our mission of ending period poverty in underserved communities across Nigeria,” she said.
Elekula praised CODE’s role in logistics and distribution, saying the collaboration had allowed HUMANx to focus on its core strength, designing with purpose.
“With CODE’s national reach, grassroots networks, and data-driven approach, our pads now reach the exact communities that need them most, efficiently and accountably,” she said.
She called the partnership a successful model of collaboration between art and advocacy and called for greater government intervention.
“We need government support to provide sewing machines in communities and funding from donor agencies to sustain the project,” Elekula added. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Tosin Kolade
