FG releases 2025 report: Northern Nigeria has highest teenage pregnancy rates
FG releases 2025 report: Northern Nigeria has highest teenage pregnancy rates. According to the 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report, northern states like Kebbi, Zamfara, and Kaduna have the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Nigeria. The report shows 32% of girls aged 15-19 in Kebbi were pregnant, followed by Zamfara and Kaduna at 30% each. Lagos and Edo recorded only about 3%. This data comes from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2024 and reveals sharp regional disparities. The report highlights that teenage pregnancy increases maternal and child mortality risks and contributes to school dropout. It notes pregnancy prevalence declines with education, from 34% among girls with no schooling to 4% among those with education beyond secondary school. The report said the 2025 health sector expanded adolescent-focused interventions to improve reproductive health outcomes and advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC), strengthening primary healthcare services and community outreach programmes nationwide. These include adolescent-friendly services like family planning, HIV prevention, and STI management. Community-based health workers provide counselling and selected family planning services to improve accessibility. The report also raised concerns about adolescent mental health and substance abuse, noting increasing alcohol and drug use among secondary school students. Adolescents and young people aged 10-24 account for 32% of Nigeria's population and bear a high burden of mental health disorders. Government interventions have focused on integrating mental health services into HIV care programmes, supported by national frameworks like the National Policy on the Health and Development of Adolescents.