The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Kaduna Polo Club have partnered to promote the rights, safety and wellbeing of women and adolescent girls through an all-female novelty polo match, amid concerns over teenage pregnancy, child marriage and gender-based violence.
The advocacy initiative, organised in collaboration with the Elamin Polo Team on October 21 and 22 in Kaduna, featured a dialogue with adolescent girls and a special exhibition match tagged Polo for Humanity, using sport to challenge gender stereotypes and promote the empowerment of girls.
The events, held to commemorate the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, sought to challenge restrictive gender norms, strengthen the inclusion and participation of girls, and mobilise influential stakeholders to intensify efforts against gender-based violence and other harmful practices.
UNFPA cited findings from the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey indicating that 29.9 per cent of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 had experienced pregnancy, underscoring the challenges confronting young girls in accessing education and opportunities to fulfil their potential.
The agency also warned that violent conflicts, which affect the health, rights and dignity of young people globally, further expose adolescent girls to risks such as gender-based violence, female genital mutilation and child marriage.
Speaking at the opening of the novelty polo match, UNFPA Resident Representative, Ms Muriel Mafico, called for stronger societal commitment to protecting girls’ childhoods and creating opportunities for them to achieve their ambitions.
“No girl should have to exchange her childhood for marriage, her education for motherhood, or her dreams. Investment in girls is the smartest thing we can do,” Mafico said.
She noted that UNFPA continued to work with partners to provide critical support for adolescent girls, including those in Nigeria, as part of broader efforts to safeguard their rights and improve their wellbeing.
The initiative used polo, a sport traditionally dominated by men, as a platform to take conversations about girls’ rights beyond conventional policy forums, engaging sporting communities, young people, policymakers and other influential stakeholders.
The First Vice-President of the Kaduna Polo Club, Brigadier-General Kapeh Kazir (retd.), said the club was proud to deploy sport in advancing important social causes.
He reaffirmed the club’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote equality and protect the future of Nigerian children.
UNFPA and its partners commended the participating players, club members, partners and media organisations for supporting the initiative, while pledging to sustain the collaboration beyond the International Day of the Girl Child commemoration.
They said the partnership would continue to promote advocacy on preventing gender-based violence and harmful practices, advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights, and strengthening maternal health interventions.
UNFPA is the United Nations’ sexual and reproductive health agency, working towards a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person can fulfil their potential.
