Evaluating the impact of family life and health education delivery in Nigeria: integrative evidence from secondary school-based interventions (2014–2024)

This integrative review examined the delivery of Family Life and HIV Education (FLHE) in Nigerian secondary schools from 2014 to 2024, focusing on stakeholder knowledge and attitudes, implementation barriers, and sociocultural influences. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Social Ecological Model, the review synthesised findings from peer-reviewed studies, policy documents, and expert reports using Whittemore and Knafl’s integrative framework. Data were thematically analysed across two dimensions: stakeholder perspectives and implementation challenges. Findings showed low stakeholder knowledge, especially among students, despite generally favourable attitudes toward sex education. Significant barriers included religious conservatism, parental resistance, poor teacher training, and inconsistent curriculum delivery. The review concludes that although FLHE enjoys policy recognition, implementation is hindered by systemic and contextual challenges. A nationally coordinated, regionally adapted strategy is recommended, one that builds local capacity, embeds CSE into state curricula, and leverages digital tools like SafeYouth to promote equitable, culturally relevant, and accessible adolescent sexual and reproductive health education, particularly in underserved regions.