By Alexander Chiejina, Nigeria Health Watch

The 8th Nigeria Family Planning Conference, held from December 4–6, 2024, brought together stakeholders, advocates, and experts in Abuja to advance discussions on achieving Nigeria’s family planning vision for 2030. With the goal of raising the modern contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR) from 15% to 27%, the conference underscored the need for bold action, collaboration, and innovation.

Dr. Funmilola Ola-Olorun, Senior Lecturer at the University of Ibadan, shared progress made over the last decade, with Lagos’ mCPR increasing from 17% to 26% and Kano’s from 5% to 14%. However, she stressed the need for an annual growth rate of 2%, coupled with increased funding and cross-sector collaboration, to bridge the high unmet need for family planning and reduce reliance on traditional methods.

Youth participation took center stage, with Felicity Nneoma highlighting the untapped potential of young people to drive change. She emphasized that overcoming social and religious barriers, as well as ensuring adequate funding, is critical for the success of youth-led initiatives in family planning.

Deputy Director of the Gates Institute, spotlighted supply chain challenges, calling for the revision of Nigeria’s national blueprint for health service delivery. He advocated for aligning this with the Sector Wide Approach (SWAP) to create a more coordinated, sustainable framework that ensures equitable access to family planning resources across the country.

The conference reinforced the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships and sustained investments in achieving Nigeria’s family planning goals.

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