My experience at the ECOWAS meeting in Abuja

I never knew I would have the opportunity to experience and share my ideas with high-level officials and policymakers.But fortunately for me,that was what happened at Abuja, Nigeria to discuss about adolescent mental,sexual,and reproductive health.

At first,I was anxious and hesitant by the luxury of the conference hall and the esteemed ambassadors. We were there to ensure our voices were heard and our worries or issues were addressed.

The meeting was a chaos of discussion, debates,and presentations. After all the discussions and everything, I realised that my presence was not just a half-hearted expression.

When I suddenly took the floor to share my thoughts, I spoke within myself. I spoke about struggles we face as adolescents,from plotting societal predictions to accessing basic health care services, I also soke about adolescent being able to gat a room of freedom or a non-judgemental forum. I later talked about stigmatisation.

I was nervous at this point because I thought my opinions would be a NO! Fortunately for me the response was a great one. Ambassadors cheered and applauded me in agreement and later motivated me.