The Youth Health and Life Skills Development Initiative (YHLDI) will commemorate the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child with a girls’ empowerment event focused on helping adolescent girls understand their rights, make responsible choices and take greater ownership of their futures.
The event, themed “My Life. My Rights. My Future.”, is scheduled to hold on Friday, October 9, 2026, at the Local Government Secretariat in Igbara-Oke, Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The programme will feature conversations and activities designed to equip girls with practical knowledge around their health, rights, personal development and future aspirations. Sanitary pads will also be distributed to girls as part of the initiative’s focus on supporting menstrual health and dignity.
The event is being convened by Dr. Yetunde Olagbuji, founder of the Youth Health and Life Skills Development Initiative, an organisation established in 2017 to equip adolescents and young people with the knowledge, life skills and opportunities needed to thrive and make purposeful contributions to society.
Over the years, YHLDI has worked with adolescents through school-based programmes, workshops, mentorship, media engagements and youth-focused advocacy. The organisation has also supported initiatives addressing adolescent health, resilience, sexuality education and leadership development.
Among its initiatives is the Becoming Mentorship Programme, which Dr. Olagbuji convenes to nurture leadership and personal development among young people. She has also authored books focused on adolescent growth and development.
YHLDI has also explored innovative approaches to adolescent health education. In partnership with InStrat Global Health Solutions, the organisation developed and piloted a video mobile training application for teachers delivering Family Life and Health Education in secondary schools. The pilot was conducted in five private schools in Akure and recorded significant improvements in teachers’ knowledge following the training.
Dr. Olagbuji brings both public health expertise and years of youth development experience to the initiative. In addition to founding YHLDI, she serves in a senior planning and research role within Ondo State’s primary healthcare system and lectures at the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo.
The International Day of the Girl Child event will also feature speakers Bukola Oladeji and Mrs. Precious Ogbonna, who will engage participants around issues relevant to girls’ development, choices, rights and aspirations.
The organisers say the focus is not only on celebrating girls, but on creating space for them to understand themselves, recognise their rights, develop their gifts and make decisions that can positively shape their future.
The 2026 International Day of the Girl Child carries a global focus on girls’ rights and opportunities. Through its “My Life. My Rights. My Future.” theme, YHLDI is bringing that conversation directly to girls in Igbara-Oke, combining advocacy with practical support through health education and sanitary pad distribution.
For YHLDI, the initiative reflects its broader commitment to ensuring that adolescents are not left to navigate critical stages of their development without the information, support and opportunities they need to thrive.