The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, has expressed concern over Nigeria’s low modern contraceptive prevalence rate for married women, which stands at a mere 15.3%.
With an unmet need for family planning at 21%, approximately 11 million women of reproductive age in the country are unable to access modern contraceptive methods, denying them their fundamental rights and restricting their societal participation.
Mohammed stated this Thursday, in Abuja, while delivering a keynote address at the 8th Nigeria Family Planning Conference 2024 being held on the theme: “Strengthening Investments in Faith Leadership, Community and Health Systems for Improved Family Planning Programming in Nigeria.”
The programme was organised by the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP) with support from the federal ministry of health.
Represented by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malik, emphasized the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s high fertility rate and unmet family planning needs.
“This unmet need undermines women’s health, denies their rights, and limits their role in society,” Mohammed emphasized, drawing attention to the urgent need for action.
Malik maintained that the challenges contributing to the crisis include systemic issues such as inadequate healthcare facilities, frequent supply chain disruptions, and a severe shortage of trained healthcare workers.
He also highlighted regional disparities, citing cultural and educational differences as significant barriers to equitable access between Northern and Southern Nigeria.
“Mobile health platforms and telemedicine offer promising opportunities to expand access to family planning services, particularly in remote rural areas,” he noted. Malik stressed the importance of involving community leaders, including religious and traditional authorities, to promote family planning and reduce disparities.
He therefore called for sustainable solutions, urging the Nigerian government to increase domestic funding for family planning, and reducr reliance on international donors.
“While donor support remains critical, the Nigerian government must take ownership by significantly increasing its investment in family planning initiatives to ensure sustainability,” he stated.
Earlier, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, stressed the critical importance of family planning as more than a health intervention but a driver of socio-economic transformation.
According to the deputy speaker, the benefits of empowering individuals and families with the autonomy to make informed reproductive health choices cannot be overemphasized. He said this would ‘saves lives, reduces maternal and infant mortality, and fosters socio-economic progress’.
