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In Ghana, fears over pandemic rise in teenage pregnancies
Gifty Nuako has just turned 18, an age when a young person stands on the threshold of life. Instead, her future looks bleak.
Last December, she became pregnant — “a mistake,” she says in a whisper.
She wanted to have an abortion, but her boyfriend’s family refused.
Today, in the back streets of Jamestown, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the Ghanaian capital Accra, the teenager hides her barely rounded stomach under a long skirt and scarves.
“Now I can’t work, I can’t go back to school. I don’t know what to do any more,” she said.
Unwanted teenage pregnancy is a major problem in Ghana, simultaneously disempowering girls and entrenching them in poverty, say campaigners.
Activists estimate that nearly one woman in seven in the country becomes pregnant before the age of 19.
And, they say, anecdotal evidence suggests the numbers soared last year after the authorities closed schools to help curb the spread of Covid.
“Schools were a form of protection,” said Sarah Lotus Asare, who volunteers with disadvantaged teenage girls.
The schools also gave a sense of purpose to many girls — a crucial compass point that was taken away when education was shut down.
“Many found themselves idle, without adults to supervise them,” she said.
Classes reopened in mid-January after a 10-month closure — one of the world’s longest continuous educational shutdowns prompted by the coronavirus crisis.
– Contraception –
While teenage sexual activity increased during the school shutdown, the vast majority of girls in Ghana do not have access to birth control.
According to a study by the Ghana Health Service in 2020, only 18.6 percent of sexually active adolescents use contraception.
Often, abortion is not an option either.
In this conservative and religious country, pregnancy termination is illegal except in cases of rape, incest, foetal impairment or danger to the mother’s physical or mental health.
Ghana’s lack of sex education is also a problem, said Esi Prah, a member of the NGO Marie Stopes, which works with the government to develop family planning.
“The sexuality of young girls is still stigmatised here,” she said.
“Ghanaians in general are rather hostile to the idea of sex education. There is a tendency to think that it encourages sex between teenagers and that the best contraception is abstinence.”
In 2019, an attempt by the government and the United Nations to implement a sex education programme sparked an uproar.
The initiative was attacked by conservative and religious groups, who denounced a “satanic” attempt to promote “LGBT values”. The programme was ultimately abandoned.
– Poverty roots –
Poverty is a cause of unwanted teen pregnancies, and unwanted teen pregnancies become a cause of poverty, say, campaigners
Theophilus Isaac Quaye, a local elected official in the district of Chorkor, poses for a portrait in his office in Accra, Ghana, on February 12, 2021. Nipah Dennis / AFP
Forty-six per cent of Ghana’s population was already living below the poverty line in 2017, and last year the pandemic plunged the country into recession.
“Some parents cannot take care of their children,” said Theophilus Isaac Quaye, a local elected official in the district of Chorkor, south of Accra.
“And then their daughters are forced to follow men who offered them money. This is not their fault. In order for them to survive, they have to follow these men.”
“The major reason for girls getting pregnant, it’s poverty,” Asare said.
School regulations do not formally prohibit young mothers from returning to school after childbirth, but in reality, it is very rare for them to return.
Fearing stigma or needing to support themselves, most teenage mothers quit their studies and find work.
Lacking qualifications, they often take up menial jobs and thus find themselves even deeper in the poverty rut.
“When you get pregnant, you realise the situation becomes worse,” said Asare.
“You couldn’t support yourself and now you have another mouth to feed.”
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Leaders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo South Senatorial District have endorsed a member of the House of Representatives, Aderemi Oseni, as their consensus candidate for the 2027 senatorial election.
The endorsement was announced on Wednesday at a stakeholders’ meeting held at Alice Hall, Ibadan, with party leaders, stakeholders, local government chairmen and state executive members from the nine local government areas in attendance.
The councils represented at the meeting are Ibadan North, Ibadan North-East, Ibadan North-West, Ibadan South-East, Ibadan South-West, Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa East, Ibarapa North and Ido.
The stakeholders expressed satisfaction with Oseni’s aspiration, describing it as timely, credible and anchored on tested leadership and grassroots appeal.
Those present at the meeting included Chief Timothy Jolaoso (Ibarapa East); Alhaji Kamorudeen Ajisafe (Ido); Chief Abdulrauf Bello (Ido); Alhaji Muili Oluokun (Ibadan North-West); Alhaji Mufutau Adisa (Ibadan South-East); Alhaji Bello Oladeji (Ibadan North); Prince Gbade Lana (Ibadan North-East); Engr. Olatunji (Ibadan South-West); Comrade Wale Gbadamosi (Ibarapa North); and Alhaja Moji Adetona (Ibarapa Central).
Other party officials in attendance were the senatorial chairman, Alhaji Mojeed Adebayo; the secretary, Fatai Adesina; Welfare Officer, Sunday Babalola; Deputy Women Leader, Alhaja Fatimah Hassan; Auditor, Alhaja Tinu Adigun; Youth Leader, Lekan Adebayo; Ex-Officio member, Kola Amoo; Treasurer, Lateef Ajiboye; and Senatorial Youth Leader, Olalekan Olowe.
A chieftain of the party in Ibadan North Local Government, Hon. Shina Alabi, moved the motion for the lawmaker’s endorsement, which was seconded and unanimously adopted by the stakeholders.
Alabi said Oseni’s decision to abide by President Bola Tinubu’s directive to step down his governorship ambition for the senatorial race underscored his loyalty and commitment to party unity.
He said, “Hon. Oseni has demonstrated uncommon commitment to the welfare of the people. His leadership style is inclusive, responsive and development-driven. We are convinced that his emergence as the APC candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District will strengthen the party’s chances and guarantee effective representation.”
He also urged party members to remain united and rally behind credible aspirants with proven capacity and electoral value.
In his remarks, Hon. Aderemi Oseni said his decision to pursue the senatorial seat followed the presidential directives, noting that he accepted the decision in the interest of party cohesion, progress and stability. He recalled that he had earlier prepared for the Oyo South senatorial race in the 2023 general elections, having already purchased the nomination and expression of interest forms as part of an arrangement reached, before stepping down following appeals by party leaders.
The lawmaker, who chairs the House Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said the party must close ranks to reclaim political dominance in the senatorial district.
According to him, “There is a huge task ahead, especially with several House of Representatives seats in the district currently held by the opposition. We must work together, mobilise effectively and secure victory for our party and leader, President Bola Tinubu”.
Oseni thanked party leaders and stakeholders for the confidence reposed in him and assured them of his commitment to advancing the interests of Oyo South Senatorial District.
The meeting also had representatives from all nine local government areas, with about 10 leaders from each council in attendance.
The lawmaker representing Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency of Oyo State, Olafisoye Akinmoyede, has denied allegations of violence at the All Progressives Congress (APC) state secretariat, describing claims that he assaulted a party member as false and politically motivated.
An online platform, IMPARTNEWSNETWORK, had alleged that Akinmoyede assaulted one Gafar Oyebade during a meeting convened by the state chairman of the party, Alake Adeyemo, to resolve issues surrounding the executive list of the APC in Lagelu Local Government Area.
However, Akinmoyede, in a statement on Tuesday, said the meeting was peaceful and attended by key members of the state executive, including the chairman, deputy chairman, and secretary, who witnessed the proceedings.
He clarified that contrary to Oyebade’s claim of being the party secretary, the official list presented by the state leadership recognised him as the Public Relations Officer.
According to the lawmaker, following the clarification, the state executive directed the Lagelu Local Government chairman, Fatai Awoyoola, to proceed with the swearing-in of other party officials.
Akinmoyede also faulted attempts to link the incident with the 2019 killing of a former federal lawmaker, noting that a court of competent jurisdiction had already ruled on the matter.
He said, “In Suit No. I/70c/2019, delivered by Justice Mufutau Adegbola on January 23, 2020, all those accused were discharged and acquitted.”
The lawmaker expressed concern over what he described as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, alleging that Oyebade, a public school teacher under the Oyo State Government, should not be involved in partisan politics.
He described the allegation as a “recycled script” aimed at tarnishing his image ahead of political activities, urging constituents to remain calm.
Akinmoyede also called on journalists to verify information before publication and urged security agencies to take action against individuals who file false reports.
“These tactics surface every election cycle. Those behind them should learn to accept the outcomes of political processes. They failed before and will fail again. Power comes from God,” he added.
The lawmaker representing Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Olafisoye Akinmoyede, has denied allegations of assault levelled against him by a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagelu Local Government Area, Mr. Gafar Oyebade.
Akinmoyede described the allegation as “false” and “a lie taken too far,” insisting that no physical altercation occurred.
The denial was contained in a statement issued on Monday by his Legislative Aide, Dr. Isiaq Akintunde.
Oyebade had alleged that he was hospitalised following a confrontation during a meeting held at the office of the state party chairman in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, convened to resolve a leadership dispute in the local government.
But the federal lawmaker maintained that the meeting was peaceful and attended by top party officials.
“The meeting was convened to clarify Mr. Oyebade’s position within the local executive, and it was attended by the State Party Chairman, his deputy, the secretary, the publicity secretary, and other key state executives, all of whom witnessed the peaceful proceedings,” the statement read.
He added that contrary to Oyebade’s claim of being the party secretary, the official list presented by the Lagelu Local Government Party Chairman, Hon. Fatai Awoyoola, identified him as the Public Relations Officer.
According to Akinmoyede, the state executive thereafter directed Awoyoola to proceed with the swearing-in of the remaining members of the local government executive.
The lawmaker accused Oyebade of fabricating the allegation to advance political interests.
“I wonder why Mr. Gafar Oyebade, a secondary school teacher, would claim he was assaulted in the presence of the State Executive. This is an attempt to justify money allegedly collected from an aspirant to tarnish my image,” he said.
Akinmoyede further claimed that Oyebade was seen walking freely after the meeting and was not hospitalised as alleged.
He also raised concerns over Oyebade’s involvement in partisan politics, noting that civil servants are restricted from active participation in political activities.
The lawmaker called on security agencies and the media to investigate the incident at the party’s Oke-Ado office to ascertain the veracity of the claims.
Efforts to reach Oyebade for comments were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
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