Family planning, as defined by WHO, is the ability for couples and individuals to determine if, and when they want to have children, the number and spacing. More than just contraceptive options it focuses on welfare, female empowerment and a wide approach to improving the reproductive status of the community and the nation at large.
Over time, family planning in Nigeria has been faced with a myriad of problems, including cultural and religious opposition, poverty, lack of spousal support, female illiteracy, and socio-economic factors. These have hindered adaptation and increased the burden of unmet needs of contraception. Figures put the unmet needs of contraception for unmarried women as high as 36% and about 19% for married women. This contributes to the prevailing high rate of unintended pregnancies and related reproductive health issues which leads to a snowballing effect leading to poor child welfare, entrenched poverty and poor living conditions, as seen in Nigeria with over 20 million children and youth out of school. Therefore, the time to act is now, and steps taken to equip families with the needed tools to ensure only children who can be catered to are born. Furthermore, there has also been a notable regional trend with the northern regions of Nigeria, far worse off and less willing to adopt family planning services. This can also be observed with urban and rural areas, likely due to the higher prevalence of educated families in urban areas, a lower desire for large family sizes, and the availability of health facilities and information on family planning options.
However, it's not all a gloomy read; there have been some advances and encouraging strides in recent years, which need to be built upon for us to create a safe, sustainable reproductive health system for our people. WHO has reported a recent upsurge in the adoption of self-administered family planning options, coupled with the availability of simpler and more effective options and a desire to institute a community-based approach. This means the future offers an optimistic outlook if all stakeholders do their part. Regardless, there is an urgent need for concerted efforts to break down the barriers that hinder the adoption of modern contraceptive options, these should include public education, where mass media outlets can be employed to break down on myths, propagate facts and inform people on how family planning empowers them and ensures a positive outcome for all involved.
Furthermore, there is a need for driven government action, which sadly has not been so, evidenced by a 97% reduction in the budget allocated for family planning from ₦2.225 billion in 2024 to ₦66.39 million in 2025. This, coupled with an exit of international funding bodies, means there is a reduced capital base to act with. This precipitously leaves us at a point where, if Nigeria aims to achieve a Modern contraceptive prevalence rate of 30% by 2030, we need innovative answers and solutions from private stakeholders, agencies and more and the onus is on us to act now to stem the tide.