The journey towards achieving a comprehensive and sustainable family planning culture in Nigeria has been challenging and dynamic. The campaign seems to be making limited progress. Similarly, the quest for economic growth and better living standards for our populace has continued to pose a daunting challenge, Onyebuchi Ezigbo writes on the possibilities of breaking the barriers to achieve the desired outcome, because of the present economic and social realities
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), family planning is defined as “the ability of individuals and couples to anticipate and attain their desired number of children and the spacing and timing of their births.”
However, family planning in Nigeria should be seen as a pro-life and development issue which all citizens must embrace as a patriotic pursuit. Over the years, Nigeria has had to grapple with the issue of galloping population growth with no commensurate growth in our economic indices. The result is poverty, a high mortality rate, a surging unemployment rate, social unrest and crime. Unplanned population growth has not enabled our country to develop and provide the basic needs of its citizens.
More often, the message of family planning is misunderstood and misconstrued to mean birth control or associated with the promotion of abortion which makes people oppose the laudable concept. However, it is important to state here that family planning promotes such positive virtues as child spacing and the right timing of births. This practice to a large extent, enables couples to manage their affairs properly, including taking care of their children. It helps parents adequately cater to their children’s basic needs and become useful members of the larger society.
Speaking at a recent interactive session with journalists in Abuja, Chairman Management of the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP), Dr. Ejike Orji, said that with the current fertility rate, Nigeria’s population may hit 450 million by 2050. He said the prevailing economic trend and other future expectations will not support such a spiral population growth, adding that if nothing was done to arrest the situation, it could get to a stage when people may not be able to feed.
According to him, what the country is witnessing in the form of the Japa syndrome is that a lot of young Nigerian trained young doctors, ICT professionals and others are leaving the country in droves due to hunger and economic difficulties. Ejike said there were some developments in fertility rate already which suggested that Nigeria is heading for higher population numbers in the years ahead.
“I mean, there is a high per cent rate of fertility, about 4.8 per cent per cent in Nigeria today. But we would have needed to achieve much more but the fertility rates are still very high. And then, with only that much in transit, we need to get to a fertility rate of at least four per cent”.
Nigeria has continued to grapple with persistently high fertility rates, stagnant contraceptive prevalence rates, and alarming maternal mortality rates. Painfully, Nigeria is one of the countries with populations that have the largest proportion of young people in the world but with next to no opportunities for engaging them. Compounding these challenges indicates that international donors are reconsidering their commitments to family planning initiatives, further exacerbating the precarious situation. It is pertinent to once again explain what family planning means, and the concepts behind it as well as evaluate the level of awareness amongst the populace.
In the years past, AAFP has diligently collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, alongside partner organisations and government agencies, to advance the cause of family planning across the nation.
Since its inception in 2010, the Nigeria Family Planning Conference has served as a pivotal platform for stakeholders to convene, exchange ideas, and strategise on how best to address the pressing issues surrounding family planning in our country. The most recent instalment, the seventh Nigeria Family Planning Conference held in December 2022, themed ‘The Journey to 2030: Opportunities Ahead,’ provided a crucial opportunity for reflection and forward thinking. However, despite concerted efforts and notable achievements, recent developments paint a sobering picture of the current state of affairs.
The outcome of the Nigeria Council of Health meeting held in Ekiti State in 2023 underscored a troubling pattern of neglect and disregard for previously established commitments, highlighting the urgent need for renewed focus and action. In response to these critical developments and recognizing the imperative for decisive intervention, AAFP and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in collaboration with their esteemed partners, are poised to convene the eighth Nigeria Family Planning Conference in December 2024. The eighth Nigeria Family Planning Conference (8th NFPC) served as a critical intervention amidst Nigeria’s economic downturn by addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by households, health facilities, institutions, and the government. By focusing on sustainable commitment and advancing progress in family planning, the NFPC seeks to alleviate the burden on households grappling with increased financial strain and food insecurity. The conference presents a timely opportunity to reinvigorate dialogue, reorient strategies, and galvanise collective efforts toward realising the vision of universal access to right-based quality family planning services in Nigeria. Against the backdrop of evolving challenges and shifting priorities, stakeholders must come together with renewed vigour, commitment, and innovation to chart a course toward a future where every individual and family can exercise their reproductive rights and choices with dignity and autonomy.
Lack of family planning also has implications for the country’s population and economic growth Ejike Orji, said with the current fertility rate, Nigeria’s population may hit 450 million by 2050. He added that the prevailing economic trend and other future expectations will not support such spiralling population growth, adding that if nothing was done to arrest the situation, it could get to a stage when people may not be able to feed.
In addition, Orji said there are some developments in fertility rate already which suggested that Nigeria is heading for higher population numbers in the years ahead.
“I mean, there is a high per cent rate of fertility, about 4.8 per cent per cent in Nigeria today. But we would have needed to achieve much more but the fertility rates are still very high. And then, with only that much in transit, we need to get to a fertility rate of at least 4.”
No doubt, access to affordable contraceptives and comprehensive family planning services can empower families to make informed decisions about their reproductive health, thereby reducing the economic strain associated with unplanned pregnancies and larger family sizes. Moreover, by controlling birth rates, families can better allocate limited resources, ensuring that essential needs such as food, education, and healthcare are met even in times of economic hardship.
Furthermore, the NFPC provides a strategic platform for bolstering the capacity of health systems to cope with the challenges exacerbated by the economic downturn. By advocating for increased funding and resources for family planning programmes, the conference aims to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure, enhance service delivery, and improve the accessibility of contraceptives, particularly in underserved communities.
Moreover, by fostering collaboration between the government, healthcare providers, and civil society organisations, the NFPC can facilitate the development of innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of Nigeria’s population. Through concerted efforts to address last-mile distribution challenges and promote evidence-based policies, the conference seeks to build resilience within the healthcare system and mitigate the adverse effects of the economic downturn on reproductive health outcomes.
The conference seeks to catalyse sustained commitment and collaborative action among stakeholders to advance progress in family planning initiatives in Nigeria, with a specific focus on bridging the gap between policy intentions and effective service delivery on the ground.
Specific objectives are to find ways to reinforce the commitment of stakeholders, including government entities, civil society organisations, the private sector, and communities, towards achieving national and global family planning goals; to facilitate discussions aimed at identifying and addressing barriers to the effective implementation of family planning policies and programmes at the grassroots level; to share best practices, innovative approaches, and lessons learned to improve the quality, accessibility, and inclusivity of family planning services across Nigeria; to advocate for investments in healthcare infrastructure, workforce development, and supply chain management to ensure the sustainable delivery of family planning services nationwide; to discuss and prioritise efforts to reach marginalized populations, including adolescents, rural communities, and underserved regions, to ensure equitable access to family planning services and reduce disparities in reproductive health outcomes; to amplify advocacy for increased funding and resource allocation towards family planning programmes, leveraging partnerships and innovative financing mechanisms to sustain progress in the long term; and to explore and work with the National Assembly and other partners to make family planning a priority.
