By Onyinye Oranezi, Nigeria Health Watch

During a dynamic session on scaling access to family planning (FP) services, key speakers shared insights on the strategies that have worked in different regions of Nigeria. These success stories demonstrate how political will, community engagement, and innovative policies can significantly boost modern contraceptive prevalence rates (CPR) and reduce infant and maternal mortality. Here’s a breakdown of what was shared by health leaders from Gombe, Sokoto, and Bayelsa, as well as experts from national agencies.

Gombe: Leveraging Political Will to Save Lives

Dr. Habu Bahiru, Commissioner of Gombe State, spoke about the critical role that political will has played in transforming health outcomes in his state. Gombe had historically struggled with high infant and maternal mortality rates, which prompted the government to prioritise FP interventions. With support from the State House of Assembly, a budget line for FP was established, and Gombe’s national FP guidelines were domesticated to suit the local context.

The success of these efforts can be attributed to a technical working group that coordinated policy implementation and grassroots sensitisation. Dr. Bahiru emphasised the importance of engaging at the community level and using task forces, such as those of primary health care (PHC) centres, to deliver FP services. Training healthcare personnel to provide FP services was also a key aspect of Gombe’s approach. These efforts have led to a noticeable reduction in infant and maternal mortality rates.

Sokoto: Overcoming Socio-Cultural Barriers to Family Planning

Alhaji Sarkin Sokoto highlighted how Sokoto State adapted the FP process to fit its unique socio-cultural norms. He explained that the bulk of their work was focused on shifting people’s mindsets about FP, a topic traditionally met with resistance in the region. Sokoto achieved this through close collaboration with religious leaders, societal influencers, and key stakeholders.

Advocacy visits to religious groups and the creation of a socio-behavioural group that represented diverse sections of society played a crucial role in changing perceptions. By involving religious leaders and young people, Sokoto was able to begin overcoming socio-cultural resistance and raising awareness about FP's benefits.

Bayelsa: Closing the Human Resource Gap in FP Services

Dr. Okoye, Bayelsa State, shared how political will and innovative policies have helped bridge the human resource gap in FP services. In 2020, Bayelsa adopted a task-shifting policy, which allowed community mobilisers to play a more active role in creating demand for FP services. This policy galvanised the need for women to seek FP services at health facilities, and it helped ensure that services were available in even the most remote areas.

Society for Family Health: Expanding Access through CSO Engagement

Dr. Omokhudu Idogho, Managing Director of the Society for Family Health discussed how civil society organisations (CSOs) are working to drive both the supply and demand sides of FP services. He stressed the importance of reaching hard-to-reach communities and expanding access to FP through partnerships with community pharmacists and patent and proprietary medicine vendors (PPMVs). Over the past few years, this approach has demonstrated success, as proof emerged that these community health workers can deliver FP services, prompting policy shifts that have supported broader access.

National Perspective: The Way Forward for Nigeria

Pharm Ugo Alex from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) closed the session by discussing how the lessons learned from Gombe, Sokoto, and Bayelsa can be applied at the national level. He acknowledged that implementation remains a key challenge but reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building on what works. One of the government’s main strategies moving forward is to increase domestic funding for FP at both the federal and state levels. This would help address issues like frequent stockouts of FP supplies.

Pharm Ugo also emphasised the importance of engaging religious leaders and sensitising men on the benefits of FP. Lastly, he stressed the need for reliable data to track progress, stating, "Without quality data, we can’t know where we are."

A Comprehensive Path to Success

The panel provided a comprehensive roadmap for achieving universal access to contraception in Nigeria. By addressing political, cultural, and logistical challenges and strengthening community engagement we are helping Nigeria move towards its FP2030 goals. As the country looks to the future, the critical question remains: Can these successful models be scaled to reach every corner of the nation, ensuring that all families have access to life-saving FP services?

The roadmap is clear—now the focus must be on execution.

Stay tuned for more community-driven, community-inspired reporting from the 8th Nigerian Family Planning Conference, taking place December 3–6, 2024.