School health and well-being in Nigeria: gaps in policy and design

AimsThis paper describes the history of school health in Nigeria leading to the formulation of the existing policy and the current status of policy implementation, as well as gaps and recommendations for review.MethodsA review of school health documents in Nigeria was carried out, as well as analysis of findings from a stakeholder's workshop.ResultsSchool health is a vital tool for the holistic well-being of the school population. It has dual roles, both promoting health and adapting schools as settings for health-promoting activities. School health also provides an opportunity to maximize the investments and profits in the education and health sectors through an organized set of policies, procedures and activities intended to be well coordinated under the school health programme (SHP). The SHP in Nigeria can be categorized into three: pre-policy, policy and post-policy. However, the Nigerian SHP has been poorly implemented over the years with multiple policy gaps.ConclusionThere is an urgent need for SHP review in Nigeria. This will aid community awareness and facilitate implementation.