DAC 2025: AHF Empowers Young Nigerians With ‘Boys2Men’ Program

In celebration of 2025 Day of the African Child (DAC), AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria is set to empower young Nigerian men through a programme with the theme ‘Be the Hero of Your Health’ – with the revitalization of its Boys2Men program.

This renewed commitment aims to boost visibility, awareness, and action for adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) in HIV, Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) programming across the continent.

Launched in 2018, AHF’s Boys2Men program addresses these gaps by promoting positive masculinity, early testing and treatment initiation, and stigma-free care for ABYM.

In a press statement, AHF Africa Bureau Chief Dr. Penninah Iutung stated that for too long, adolescent boys and young men have been the invisible demographic in the fight against HIV.

“Harmful gender norms teach them that seeking help is a sign of weakness, and stigma keeps them silent—even when their lives are at risk. Revitalizing our Boys2Men program is a bold step to change that narrative by empowering young men to take control of their health, access the care they need, and redefine what it means to be strong.”

In Nigeria, AHF Nigeria will host a football match between the AHF boys and the soccer team of the Waru Community, Abuja. The Waru community in Abuja is home to one of AHF Nigeria’s facility, as the community also boasts of a Community Advocacy Club, AHF Africa Bureau flagship grassroots advocacy initiative.

The football match will take place on Saturday June 21^st and presents an opportunity to engage young boys on building positive masculinity and being resilient in the face of multiple environmental factors that young boys are faced with today.

On his part, Dr. Echey Ijezie, AHF Nigeria Country Program Director (CPD) said “The 2025 Day of the African Child commemoration is an intelligent response to the quiet but consistent yearnings of ours boys who have long desired a structured interface to engage and positively deal with the peculiar challenges boys are faced with growing up in our terrain and I am happy we are able to revitalize the Boys2Men program for the benefit of adolescent boys and young men (ABYM), who will find the program’s offering exceptional to their growth.”

Since 2022, AHF has used the Day of the African Child to amplify calls for youth-friendly HIV services, CSE, SRHR, and stronger public policies addressing gender-based violence and teenage pregnancy. This year, in addition to on-the-ground interventions such as HIV testing, condom distribution, and other outreach efforts, the Day of the African Child events will reaffirm AHF’s commitment to ensure ABYM are not left behind.

Observed annually on June 16, the Day of the African Child commemorates the 1976 Soweto Uprising – when students in South Africa marched in protest of poor-quality education and demanded teaching instruction in their languages – and were violently suppressed by police forces. Today, it serves as a platform to advocate for the rights, health, and development of children across the continent.