Conference

Academy for Health Development (AHEAD) being a knowledge management and health development organisation, has overtime successfully managed health and scientific conferences. One of those is the 1^st National Conference on Adolescent Health and Development in Nigeria, themed “Leaving No Young Person Behind. Advancing Adolescent Health in Nigeria in the SDG Era”, which was presented by the Society for Adolescent and Young Peoples’ Health in Nigeria (SAYPHIN). The conference which held at the Otunba Subomi Balogun Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, from April 10 to 13, 2019, was preceded by a youth pre-conference session on the 10th of April, 2019.

SAYPHIN which is a multidisciplinary, non-governmental organization with a broad focus on adolescents and young people’s health, thereby presented the 1^st biennial conference which aimed at bringing a significant number of stakeholders together to address key issues regarding the health and development of adolescents and young people in Nigeria. AHEAD was responsible for planning, managing and coordinating the conference activities, which included mobilising stakeholders, amongst other logistics. The conference featured scientific abstract presentations, several parallel and plenary sessions, as well as panel discussions on the issues pertaining to adolescents and young people’s health and development.

The conference had the representative of the Minister of Health present, in person of Prof. Victor Adetiloye who is the Chief Medical Director of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile Ife. Other notables present included Dr. Olusola Odujirin, who was the keynote speaker; Prof Oladapo Ladipo, the Chairman, Board of Trustee, SAYPHIN; among others.

The conference was a huge success as it was graced by Ministries and Organisations including the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) Nigeria, United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Nigeria, AIDS Preventive Initiative (APIN) Nigeria, BraveHeart Initiative, Nigeria, Paaneah Foundation, Nigeria, among other health organisations. Participants, especially the adolescents and young people from various higher institutions of learning in Nigeria were also present at the Conference.

The1^st National Conference on Adolescent Health and Development, which lasted for three days, ended on a successful note, the next edition slated to come up in Abuja in the year 2021.