Mike Ezuruonye, Aisha Lawal, Femi Branch star in PSI’s menstrual awareness health film

Singer Yemi Alade, actors Aisha Lawal and Femi Branch lead the cast in Population Services International (PSI), a global nonprofit organisation short film, ‘Time of the Month’, to raise awareness about menstrual health and hygiene.

Maryam Booth, JJC Skillz, Daddy Hikima, Liquorose Afije, Mary Remmy Njoku, Oge Okoye, Ibrahim Suleiman, IK Ogbonna, and Mike Ezuruonye are other stellar cast members in the health-focused film, which is airing on the PSIcreativesNigeria YouTube channel.

The PSI, an organisation with a proven track record in improving health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, revealed this in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday and signed by its Nigeria representative, Pritpal Marjara.

Mr Marjara said the short film and new music single were to raise awareness and drive positive change regarding menstrual health and hygiene.

He says the film ‘Time of the Month’ is a critical campaign component. It blends storytelling and music to tackle the often-stigmatised subject of menstruation—fostering open conversations about menstrual health and empowering young women across Nigeria.

The PSI representative also highlighted Yemi Alade’s new single, ‘Time of the Month,’ which advocates breaking the silence around menstrual health and hygiene (MHH). The empowering tune celebrates womanhood while addressing many women’s challenges during their menstrual cycles, promoting a positive and stigma-free view of menstruation.

Inspiration

While highlighting the organisation’s collaboration with Nigerian celebrities, Mr Marjara emphasised that music and Nollywood are unique and influential in Nigerian culture, resonating strongly with young people and women.

He explained that the partnership was to leverage the significant influence of Nigerian music artists and Nollywood actors to achieve widespread outreach and drive social impact in menstrual health and hygiene.

Expressing optimism, he stated that the organisation’s partnership with influential Nigerian celebrities would ensure that the messages in the menstrual health campaign resonate with a broad audience, creating emotional connections to inspire meaningful social change.

Mr Marjara added that the campaign aims to empower women and girls, challenge stigmas, and foster open conversations about menstrual health.

“Nigerian artistes, as entertainers and cultural icons, lend credibility to the message, making it more relatable and acceptable to the target audience. Incorporating music into the campaign helps achieve the strategic goal of normalising discussions about menstruation and breaking taboos while making the topic accessible and relatable.

“Singing about menstrual health and integrating it into relatable drama add an engaging and human element to the messaging. Music is a powerful medium that appeals to emotions, creating lasting impressions and fostering connections”, the PSI representative said.

Actors’ selection

Additionally, Mr Marjara explained that the choice of Yemi Alade, Femi Branch, Aisha Lawal, and other cast members was driven by their prominence, credibility, relatability, and passion for health and women’s empowerment.

The PSI representative said Yemi Alade, known as ‘Mama Africa,’ was selected for her ability to authentically share African stories through her music.

“JJCSkillz is a dynamic storyteller and Afrocentric innovator who promotes African identity and unity through music and language, which resonate deeply with the music video concept.

“The story is similar for other members of the cast and crew. More impressive is that we discovered these artists have been doing a lot to promote the cause of women and girls on their various platforms, making it seamless for them to join our train”, added Mr Marjara.

The PSI representative further expressed confidence that the partnership would influence perceptions of menstrual health, highlighting that celebrities, as significant influencers, have frequently shaped Nigerians’ views.

Message

Furthermore, Mr Marjara stated that the hashtag ‘#TimeOfTheMonthNow’ campaign aims to foster positivity, uphold women’s dignity, and promote empowerment.

The PSI representative also stressed that the campaign delivers a hopeful message, advocating for a menstrual experience free from shame, fear, or embarrassment—essentially, a period with ‘no wahala’ or troubles.

“A message of urgency bringing in all actors and actions to address the challenges faced by girls and women as well as reinforce the importance of menstrual health”, Marjara said.

Mr Marjara acknowledged that one of the challenges it might face in the campaign is resistance from parents and caregivers with conservative views, who may prevent their girls from participating in the program, particularly in local communities.

“The deeply rooted myths and misconceptions may pose a challenge in holding open conversations on menstrual health with girls. In addition to the #Timeofthemonth campaign, the MH-NoW program has other components that promote access to quality and affordable menstrual health products even in hard-to-reach areas.

“We are driving economic empowerment among women through producing and distributing menstrual health products. This way, women would be end-to-end beneficiaries of menstrual health products irrespective of the socio-economic stratification of their location or urban”, added the PSI representative.

Mr Marjara emphasised that its long-term goal in partnership is to ensure that no woman in Nigeria is disadvantaged, regardless of the time of the month.