“No More Shame, No More Skipping School”: Why VAT Removal Isn’t Enough to End Period Poverty in Nigeria.

Despite the Nigerian government scrapping VAT on sanitary pads, millions of women and girls still can’t afford a decent period. Rising prices, a lack of clean water, and poor sanitation facilities mean that many are left using unsafe alternatives, missing school, or facing stigma.

May 28 is Menstrual Hygiene Day, and this year’s theme is “#PeriodFriendlyWorld.” Since 2014, the day has brought together the UN, civil society, researchers, and communities to push for better menstrual health for all. But as development firm Mangrove and Partners Limited points out, Nigeria still has a long way to go.

According to the World Health Organization, about 500 million women and girls worldwide lack access to proper menstrual hygiene facilities. In Nigeria, even with the recent tax break on sanitary products under the 8 Nigeria Tax Act, the real barriers remain: no safe toilets in schools, no clean water to wash or change in private, and little to no education about menstruation.

Timeyin Uwejamomere, CEO of Mangrove and Partners, puts it plainly: “A period friendly world needs more than talk. It needs real engineering and sustainable funding.” He’s calling for stronger investment in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, plus financial support for low-income families.

The firm is also urging the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to fast track the National Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management Policy and get states to adopt it. Without coordinated action from schools, hospitals, communities, and government, Uwejamomere says, menstruation will continue to be treated as a source of shame and exclusion.