Young people as a percentage of total population:
33% (age 10-24)

Estimated percentage of young people living with HIV/AIDS:
Female – 7%
Male – 3.6%

RTK INITIATIVE STATUS
Phase I: Planning for RTK -- Completed
Phase II: Participatory Action Research -- Initiated; to be completed upon receipt of funding
Phase III: Research development and Implementation of Communication Strategy -- To be initiated 2003

PURPOSE
The primary goal of Right to Know is to plan and implement adolescent communication strategies that provide adolescents (both in school and out of school) with information and lifeskills for the prevention of HIV/AIDS, and to ensure adolescent participation in all aspects of planning and implementation.

PRIORITY ACTIVITIES, 2002-2003:
RTK will contribute to UNICEF's continued support of the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) to improve response and ensure the required multi-sector, multi-level participation.

Specifically, RTK will continue efforts initiated by UNICEF's commitment to the Massive Awareness-Raising Campaign (MARC). The overall objective of MARC is:

• to reduce the further spread of HIV/AIDS by providing basic, scientifically correct, and comprehensive information to young people in Nigeria in order to build their capacity to make the right choices in their lives;
• to lay a strong knowledge foundation for life skills development programmes, which will empower informed young people to adopt a whole range of safer behaviour

Additionally, RTK will complement the HIV/AIDS training activities of the National Youth Committee (NYC) and seek the genuine participation of young people in defining communication activities for their peers and the most marginalized youth in Nigeria.

PARTNERS AND LINKAGES
An Advisory committee comprising of UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNFPA, USAID, NACA, young people, parents, journalists, religious leaders, and the Federal Ministry of Women and Youth Development and Ministry of Education, has been established to oversee the implementation of this project in a participatory style. The National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) will play an important role in integrating the RTK Initiative in ongoing interventions as they unfold. UNICEF will serve as the Secretariat for this RTK Core Committee.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE

• RTK West Africa Regional Training 13-17 May 2002.
• Inclusion of RTK FACTS in the NYC training, Oct. 2002.
• Selection of 4 pilot districts to conduct PAR (Phase II).
• Integration of RTK into ongoing youth prevention programmes (MARC, Youth Friendly Health Services, and NYC Training) in Nigeria.
• Selection of a RTK Youth Focal Point and inclusion in the global RTK youth network.

SOURCE:
UNICEF Right to Know Initiative, November 2002.