‘Kaduna has N1.6bn deficit on 2018 child spacing funding’

There is a huge gap of deficit in funding child spacing in Kaduna state, a development that would make it difficult to meet its contraceptives prevalent rate target of 46.5 per cent by end of 2018.

Mr. Benjamin Yunana Maigari of FHANI, brought this to the fore during a presentation to Child Spacing Media Forum at a round table discussion organised by Development Communications (DEVCOMS) in Kaduna on Friday.

As a result, a deficit of over N1.6bn is recorded in the child spacing Cost Implementation Plan (CIP) for 2018, going by the N75m budgeted for 2018, against N1.682, 087,630 billion that is actually required.

He explained that six core areas of delivery, suppliers and commodities, policy and environment, financing, supervision, monitoring and coordination required various amount of funding to be successful.

According to him, N265, 232,277 was required in 2018 for demand creation needs in Kaduna state for child spacing.
Service delivery needs N450,434,842, suppliers and commodities N48,610,206, policy and environment N1,942,606, financing N2,091,584 and N120,475,116 is required for supervision, monitoring and coordination.

Also required is the sum of N557,848,575 for commodities and N235,452,424 for consumables, making the total required sum of N1.682,087,630bn.

He said that Kaduna state government created a child spacing budget line in 2017 budget, where the government allocated the sum of 100 million Naira.

“The amount was released but not cash backed in 2017 FHANI advocated for its release/ cash backing and a validation was carried out in March 2018.

“As of today the money has not been cash-backed, but the agency is to write to the SMOH&HS as a priority which will be submitted to the state liquidity committee for consideration and approval.

In 2018 government budgeted the sum of N75 million, which the SPHCDA will also request,” he added.