Goodness became a mother at 18, shortly after completing her West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), without realising she was pregnant until she was about five months gone.
Goodness disclosed that she was in a relationship when she became pregnant and described herself as being in love. However, when she eventually discovered the pregnancy and informed her partner, his reaction was far from what she expected.
“He was angry,” she said, recalling how he almost denied the pregnancy.
She believed his reaction was largely driven by fear of the responsibility that came with having a child.
For Goodness, discovering the pregnancy marked the beginning of a series of challenges. She said the responsibilities of raising a child at such a young age had been difficult, forcing her to put her education on hold while struggling to find stable employment that would enable her to provide for herself and her child.
“I still find some things difficult despite living with my parents,” she said, describing the challenges of being a young mother.
Her experience reflects the wider challenges faced by adolescent mothers, as teenage pregnancy can disrupt girls’ education, limit their economic opportunities and expose them to stigma and discrimination. The burden of raising a child also often falls heavily on them.
The 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) showed that nationally, 15 per cent of women aged 15 to 19 have been pregnant at some point.
The figures vary significantly across the country. The North West records the highest proportion of teenagers who have ever had a live birth, at 17 per cent, while Kebbi State has the highest proportion of women aged 15 to 19 who have ever been pregnant, at 32 per cent. In contrast, Lagos and Edo record the lowest state figures, at three per cent each.
The survey also reveals a strong association between teenage pregnancy, educational attainment and household wealth. The proportion of teenagers who have ever been pregnant falls from 34 per cent among those with no education to four per cent among those with more than secondary education. Similarly, the figure declines from 29 per cent among teenagers in the poorest households to four per cent among those in the wealthiest.
The findings underscore the differing circumstances surrounding teenage pregnancy across Nigeria and the potential consequences for girls’ education and future opportunities. The report notes that adolescent childbearing is associated with adverse social consequences, particularly because girls who become mothers in their teens are more likely to leave school.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), adolescent pregnancy is more prevalent in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) where young women face limited access to contraception and reproductive health education.
For Chioma, who became pregnant at 17, the experience was different. Although her family initially reacted with disappointment and anger, they eventually accepted the situation and supported her.
With their help, she continued her education after childbirth, even as she struggled to balance schoolwork with the demands of caring for her child.
“It wasn’t easy. The challenge of raising a child while trying to keep up with my education was tough,” she said.
Chioma explained that motherhood altered her plans and forced her to assume responsibilities earlier than expected. However, family support helped her continue pursuing her education despite the difficulties.
The contrasting experiences of the two young mothers highlight the importance of support in determining whether adolescent mothers can continue their education and manage the demands of parenthood.
For Goodness, the challenges extended beyond childcare and financial hardship. She recalled facing judgement from her peers and members of her church because she became pregnant as a teenager.
Such experiences reflect how stigma and discrimination can compound the difficulties young mothers face, affecting their confidence, social relationships and opportunities to rebuild their lives.
Shelbye, a US-based young mother who became pregnant at 17, also experienced fear and uncertainty when she discovered she was expecting a child.
She recalled taking a pregnancy test at a pharmacy after an older friend picked her up from school for lunch. The result left her worried about disappointing her mother and the changes that lay ahead.
“It felt like the room was spinning when I found out,” she said.
Although she was already struggling with school and was on juvenile probation at the time, Shelbye said the pregnancy became a turning point in her life.
“After I found out I was pregnant, a switch flipped,” she said.
She subsequently improved her academic performance, graduated early, had her record expunged and completed two college degrees in Health Information Systems and Psychology.
Despite these achievements, Shelbye said she continued to experience judgement because she became a mother as a teenager.
“I still experience some judgement because I am unmarried,” she said.
She credited her family’s support with helping her overcome some of the stigma associated with teenage pregnancy, explaining that motherhood forced her to reconsider her ambitions and responsibilities.
“I had to adjust my dreams to include another person that would depend on me,” she said.
Shelbye urged society to treat young mothers with dignity rather than defining them by the circumstances surrounding their pregnancies.
“We are simply asking to be treated like humans that may have made a mistake but ultimately blossomed right along with our beautiful children,” she said.
Her experience offers another perspective on the challenges young mothers face, although the social and institutional circumstances differ between the United States and Nigeria.
Beyond the health risks associated with adolescent pregnancy, young mothers may face interrupted education, limited economic opportunities and social discrimination. These consequences can be particularly severe when families, schools and communities punish or reject girls while overlooking the responsibility of the boys involved.
A case documented by the Adolescent-Friendly Research Initiative and Care (ADOLFRIC) illustrates this disparity.
According to the organisation, a bright senior secondary school student in south-west Nigeria became pregnant by a senior schoolmate. When the pregnancy was discovered, she was expelled from school, bringing her education to an abrupt end.
Her family’s financial difficulties made it impossible for her to enrol elsewhere, leaving her to sell groundnuts and plantain by the roadside as she prepared for childbirth and motherhood.
The boy involved, however, remained in school, with no comparable disciplinary action reported. He completed his secondary education and proceeded to university. Although his family later acknowledged the child, he did not marry the girl, who was left to cope with stigma, financial hardship, interrupted education and the responsibilities of motherhood.
The case highlights how institutional responses to adolescent pregnancy can deepen gender inequality, particularly when girls bear the educational and social consequences while boys face fewer comparable repercussions.
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ADOLFRIC, Professor Olofinbiyi Babatunde Ajayi, said punishing the girl while ignoring the boy reinforced gender inequality, warning that shame, rejection and social discrimination could push adolescent mothers towards poverty, dependence and lost opportunities.
He argued that pregnancy should not be used to determine who deserves punishment but should instead prompt society to consider how to protect the child, keep the young mother in education, engage the young father responsibly, support both families and prevent further unintended adolescent pregnancies.
“Until schools, families and communities replace gender-biased punishment with equitable accountability and compassionate support, society risks turning preventable adolescent crises into lifelong inequalities, and losing the enormous potential of promising young girls,” he said.
While addressing the consequences of adolescent pregnancy is important, health advocates also stress that prevention must begin before pregnancy occurs, particularly by ensuring that young people have access to accurate information and appropriate reproductive health services.
The Head of the Adolescent Health Division at the Lagos State Ministry of Health (LSMOH), Dr Olasunmbo Ayeni, said the ministry counsels and monitors pregnant teenagers while providing them with appropriate information on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
She noted that many young people lack the confidence to discuss issues relating to their sexual and reproductive health, while misconceptions about sexuality and contraception can further complicate their ability to make informed decisions.
According to Ayeni, some parents believe their daughters are too young to receive sexual and reproductive health education, potentially leaving them without the information they need to protect their health.
“Most of them even know more, but they have a lot of myths in their head,” she said.
She explained that inadequate information could contribute to high-risk sexual behaviour and unintended pregnancies, stressing the importance of providing young people with practical guidance on preventing pregnancy and protecting themselves against sexually transmitted infections.
“If you cannot abstain, use a condom or any family planning method,” she said.
Ayeni also highlighted the health risks associated with adolescent pregnancy, which can affect both the mother and her baby. These include pregnancy-related complications and adverse maternal and newborn outcomes. She also identified sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) among the broader sexual and reproductive health concerns requiring attention.
Beyond physical health, she said pregnant teenagers often face social, emotional and educational difficulties that can contribute to psychological distress.
According to her, the Lagos State Government is taking steps to reduce adolescent pregnancy by providing age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health information and empowering young people to make informed decisions.
She added that the programme focuses on building adolescents’ self-esteem and assertiveness, while encouraging those who are sexually active to negotiate safer sex and use appropriate protection.
The Adolescent Health Division also provides counselling and mentorship for young people, while teachers and healthcare providers receive training to improve their ability to support adolescents seeking reproductive health information and services.
Ayeni stressed that confidentiality is essential to ensuring young people can access the care they need, noting that fear of judgement or the disclosure of private information can discourage them from seeking assistance at health facilities.
“What we do is build the capacity of service providers to provide confidential services to young people,” she said.
She added that the division conducts outreach programmes to engage adolescents and encourages their participation in decisions affecting their lives.
The experiences of Goodness, Chioma and Shelbye, alongside the case documented by ADOLFRIC, demonstrate that the challenges associated with adolescent pregnancy do not end with childbirth. For many young mothers, stigma, interrupted education and economic uncertainty can become additional burdens, particularly when support is limited.
Addressing these challenges requires more than preventing unintended pregnancies. It also demands a fairer response from families, schools, communities and institutions — one that holds both parents accountable, protects young mothers from discrimination and ensures that pregnancy does not automatically deprive a girl of her education or future opportunities.
