Chidinma Adibeli empowers Nigerian youths with SRHR education, advocacy, safe spaces, and policy-level influence.
Chidinma Adibeli is one of Nigeria’s dynamic youth and adolescent health advocates, using her voice and lived experience to challenge silence around sexual and reproductive health. She is the founder of the Mildheart Care Foundation, a nonprofit established in November 2023 to equip young people with access to accurate, stigma-free sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information, while also tackling gender-based violence (GBV) and youth disempowerment.
A deeply personal mission
As a survivor of GBV and childhood molestation, Chidinma Adibeli grew up unaware of basic health rights, consent, or what constituted abuse. It wasn’t until she was in university, studying Human Anatomy, that she began to understand what she had experienced and what many others still face without support or knowledge.
Her foundation focuses on changing that narrative by creating safe, supportive environments where young people can learn and make informed decisions about their health and futures. Through community and school outreach programmes, the Mildheart Care Foundation has reached numerous Nigerian youths, opening up conversations about SRHR, sexuality, abstinence, and GBV in schools and underserved communities. These programmes are supported by strategic stakeholder engagement and training efforts that equip volunteers, educators, and partners with tools to deliver person-centred services.
Chidinma Adibeli also amplifies her message through technology and media, running podcasts and media campaigns that target Nigerian adolescents. She uses accessible language to dispel harmful myths and spark public dialogue on topics often considered taboo. Her digital advocacy aims to inform and foster engagement, particularly among teenagers facing health, identity, and societal pressures.
In addition to grassroots initiatives, the SRHR advocate influences youth policy at a global level. As a UNESCO Youth Representative for the “WCA Ministers’ Commitment for Educated, Healthy and Thriving Adolescents and Young People,” she brings lived youth experiences into conversations shaping national and international policies. Since 2023, she has also served on the Youth Leadership Council of the Global Fund for Children, where she helps shape donor frameworks, promote funding access for youth-led organisations, and lead capacity-building programmes across Nigeria.
Professionally, Chidinma Adibeli has contributed to adolescent health through her work at The Wellbeing Foundation Africa and collaborations with organisations like MenEngage Nigeria and the Global Fund for Children. She believes that by educating young people early, involving them in decision-making, and building cross-sector collaborations, Nigeria can reduce sexual violence, eliminate harmful practices, and empower an entire generation.
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