WCD – CSOs call for adequate funding, prioritization of family planning in Nigeria

Civil Society Organisations rganizations (CSOs), have called for adequate funding and privatisation of family planning in Nigeria.

Addressing journalist on Monday in Abuja during the inaugural meeting of champions and advocacy, the chairman management committee, Dr. Ejika Oji, urged the government to support family health in commemoration of World Contraception Day (WCD).

He said: “Family planning investment is key to national development. All in the bid for increasing access to accurate information on Family Planning (FP) commodities and increased awareness of the benefits of modern family methods and stakeholder’s collaboration is necessary for Nigeria.

“Civil Society Organisations noted the recent activities of government like the launching of the National Family Planning Blueprint (2020-24), the launching of the RMNCAEH+N multi-stakeholders’ coordination platform and the FP2030 recommitment process to support the coordination and effective delivery of family planning.

In Nigeria, World Contraception Day 2021 comes at a time when the Federal Government of Nigeria and many state governments have signalled their commitment to increase modern family planning services delivery for women and men of reproductive age in the country.

“The 2020-2024 National Family Planning Blueprint of the Family Health Department of the Federal Ministry set out government’s commitments, objectives, and vision for modern FP service delivery in line with the government’s FP 2030 agenda.

“CSOs in Nigeria, are committed to improve child and family health in Nigeria. We believe that access to modern contraceptives gives families a chance to practice healthy timing between births; reduces the risk to the mother; contributes to the survival of living children; and the health of the nation.

Continuing, he said, “Also, Child spacing will increase economic participation of women, mother lives, child survives. If we do not plan for the future, we would have a place on the table of the future. Family planning is the most important tool to deliberately plan for the future, if we want a prosperous one.”

Also, CSOs also called for investment in adolescence health to promote quality reproductive health among youth population in Nigeria

“CSOs in Nigeria, with one voice, call on the government of Nigeria to prioritize family planning on its agenda to reap the dividends of demography and to release the 2021 budgetary allocation for family planning while applying the same results-based management approaches used in the COVID-19 fight to family planning programming in Nigeria,” he said.