Pathfinder International, a sexual and reproductive agency operating in Nigeria with focus on Advanced Family Planning (AFP) advocacy, has revealed her projection to capture 120 million women and girls of reproductive age on affordable and accessible family planning services by year 2020.
The agency’s Country Director, Dr Farouq Jega, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during a three-day annual review and work plan meeting with the state advocacy working groups and FP coordinators from 12 AFP states.
Jega said his agency was saddled with the responsibility of advocating for better funding, policies and enabling environment for family planning in Nigeria.
He said the essence of the meeting was to assess the outcome and impact of activities of 2019 as well as plan for next year, which is the 8th year of the agency on the project.
“FP 2020 is part of global initiative and the goal is to increase access to an addition of 120 million women and girls in need of FP services but hindered by logistics.
“We are working with advocacy working groups in 12 states of the federation and they are here. What we are doing is to design a strategy for our advocacy engagement in the next year,” he said.
He said Pathfinder International was also working at national level to raise awareness about the importance of funding for FP, adding that the awareness was not limited to 12 states but beyond.
He said the advocacy strategy was to engage with government, private sectors and other partner stakeholders to ensure collective provision for family planning services in the country.
Jega said the three tiers of governments were doing a lot on budgetary allocation but required prompt release of family planning budgeted fund and bridge funding gap for high quality services.
“If we are able to successfully advocate and the government at all levels put in the required funds, obviously, better services will be provided and the FP commodities will be available sufficiently,” he said.
“FP is a very veritable development tool, it helps health of the woman in the family and also helps in economic development and well being. These are what the country stands to gain if they make strategic investment in FP
