The Onelife Initiative for Human Development has linked 67,714 girls and women to sexual and reproductive health services and trained 128 healthcare providers across Oyo, Ekiti and Akwa Ibom states as part of efforts to improve access to healthcare and promote informed health choices.
The organisation disclosed this at the opening of its new office in Bodija, Ibadan, where it also presented its achievements over the past decade in youth development, education, healthcare, agriculture and civic engagement.
Its Executive Director, Sola Fagorusi, said the organisation had reached 6,487 in-school adolescents with age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education, while 12,640 adolescents and young people had benefited from community-level programmes.
Fagorusi being interviewed
He said the interventions were designed to improve access to information and services, particularly among young people and vulnerable groups who might otherwise face barriers to sexual and reproductive healthcare.
Fagorusi described the opening of the new office as an important milestone in the organisation’s 10-year journey, saying the facility would strengthen its operations, promote collaboration and improve the sustainability of its programmes.
He said the organisation’s strategic plan for 2026 to 2030 would guide its interventions in inclusive education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, agribusiness and enterprise development, as well as governance and civic engagement.
According to him, Onelife Initiative has also expanded its agricultural interventions, establishing 27.5 acres of learning and pilot plots and mobilising 3,955 smallholder farmers for cassava production in Ekiti State. The beneficiaries included 1,534 women and 1,105 young people.
He added that 1,919 horticultural farmers had received training in good agronomic practices and agricultural innovations, while 918 farmers had been equipped with knowledge to tackle aflatoxin contamination in maize fields.
The organisation also reported producing 36 radio drama episodes in Yoruba and English, reaching an estimated 8.6 million people through radio and television, and completing 37 projects.
On governance and civic engagement, Fagorusi said the organisation had developed 11 election briefs, submitted 15 Freedom of Information requests to government ministries, departments and agencies, and instituted five reproductive justice cases at the ECOWAS Court and High Courts.
He said the new facility, which has staff and intern offices, a digital production studio and a conference room, would provide space for collaboration with other civil society organisations and development partners.
A major highlight of the event was the unveiling of the organisation’s Standing School project, designed to improve literacy and numeracy among children, particularly those who combine schooling with street trading and other activities to support their families.
Fagorusi explained that the initiative would provide informal learning opportunities through partnerships with operators of community spaces, including viewing centres and television repair shops where children often gather.
He said digital learning materials would be used to teach basic literacy, spoken English and arithmetic, adding that the programme would initially cover Oyo, Ekiti and Akwa Ibom states.
The organisation appealed to members of the public to support the initiative, estimating that ₦30,000 would cover the learning journey of one child.
Representatives of government agencies and civil society organisations at the event commended Onelife Initiative for its contributions to youth development and its investment in a permanent operational base.
They called for stronger collaboration among government, civil society groups and development organisations to address social protection, poverty reduction, education, healthcare and food security.
