What Does Family Planning Mean?
Family planning is when people choose how many children to have and when to have them. It includes using safe methods to prevent pregnancy until people are ready to have babies. Family planning also means getting good healthcare for mothers and children. This helps families stay healthy and plan better lives.
Why Family Planning Matters in Nigeria
Family planning saves lives in Nigeria. When mothers can space out their babies, fewer mothers and children die. Research shows that communities using family planning can reduce maternal deaths by up to 40 percent.
Right now, Nigeria faces serious problems with mothers dying during pregnancy and childbirth. Family planning helps solve this problem. It also helps families save money and gives children better futures.
Family Planning Funding: What Policymakers Need to Know
Current Government Investment in Family Planning
In 2025, the Nigerian government made important decisions about family planning funding:
- The Minister of Health approved $60 million for family planning supplies through the National Primary Health Agency – this is the first time Nigeria allocated such a large amount for family planning
- The Presidential Initiative For Value Chain allocated N5.77 billion for purchasing family planning commodities
- The President approved $200 million for counterpart funding with USAID for HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis programs
However, there are still big gaps. At the beginning of 2025, the government approved $4 million for family planning, but only N60 million was actually released to programs.
The USAID Partnership Advantage for Family Planning
Ejike Oji, who leads the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning management committee, explains why purchasing family planning supplies through USAID saves money:
USAID uses economy of scale purchasing for 53 countries worldwide. This means they buy family planning commodities at reduced prices.
Here is how the matching grant works:
- If Nigeria purchases $357,000 worth of family planning commodities, USAID provides a matching grant of $2 million
- If the Federal Government contributes $100,000 and states contribute the remaining $257,000, Nigeria unlocks the full $2 million grant
This partnership also provides:
- Better accountability in purchasing family planning supplies
- Proper quantification exercises to determine exact commodity needs
- Cost-effective procurement processes
Maternal Newborn and Child Health Programs
Family planning connects directly to Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) programs. These programs work together to:
- Provide healthcare for pregnant mothers
- Ensure safe childbirth
- Give newborn babies good medical care
- Help children grow healthy and strong
When family planning and MNCH programs receive proper funding, they prevent unintended pregnancies and improve health outcomes. This creates significant cost savings for the country.
The Role of Media in Family Planning Advocacy
Training Journalists on Family Planning Issues
Pathfinder International organized a two-day training workshop in Abuja for journalists and media professionals. The training was conducted under the Smart Advocacy for Strategic Action (SASA) Project in partnership with Population and Development Africa Regional Office (PPDARO) and Johns Hopkins Programme for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (Jhpiego) of Kenya.
Bayo Ewuola, Senior Media and Communication Officer at Pathfinder International Nigeria, explained the training goals:
“The training was designed to deepen journalists’ and influencers’ understanding of family planning and MNCH priorities in Nigeria. These are not abstract concepts – they are about saving the lives of our mothers, sisters, daughters, and aunties, people who matter to us.”
The training focused on:
- Investigative journalism techniques for family planning stories
- Data-driven reporting on maternal health
- Solution-based journalism that highlights real challenges and community perspectives
- Ethical and accurate reporting on women’s lived experiences
Media’s Power to Influence Family Planning Policy
Alhassan Yahaya, president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), called the media training “timely and critical” given Nigeria’s troubling maternal mortality figures.
He urged journalists to:
- Take ownership of maternal health and family planning reporting as a service to humanity
- Move beyond mere coverage to active advocacy for family planning
- Review budget performance regularly and push for greater health sector allocations
- Engage directly with health commissioners, primary healthcare executives, and policymakers
- Participate actively in government budget cycles to ensure family planning receives proper attention
Yahaya cited the National Demographic and Health Survey, reminding participants that communities practicing child spacing could reduce maternal deaths by up to 40 percent.
Key Funding Mechanisms for Family Planning
Basic Healthcare Provision Fund
The Basic Healthcare Provision Fund is a critical funding mechanism that supports family planning and maternal health services at the primary healthcare level. Journalists and advocates should monitor how states access and utilize these funds.
State Counterpart Contributions to Family Planning
State governments play a crucial role in family planning funding through counterpart contributions. Gombe State set a pioneering example by releasing counterpart funds to the UN Population Fund for reproductive health commodities.
Policymakers should:
- Ensure timely release of approved family planning budgets
- Allocate adequate state-level counterpart funds
- Monitor accountability in family planning commodity procurement
- Track budget performance for family planning programs
Primary Health Care Portal: A Tool for Accountability
What is the PHC Portal?
Biobelle Davidson, Lead on strengthening health systems at the Budget Foundation, presented the Primary Health Care (PHC) portal during the training. This digital tool was designed to gather feedback from citizens on the state of health facilities.
The PHC portal tracks:
- Service delivery at health facilities
- Facility readiness to provide family planning services
- Community perspectives on healthcare quality
- Opportunities for accountability and improvement
PHC Portal Growth and Impact
The PHC portal began with 75 facilities across 15 states. It has now expanded to cover over 1,000 facilities nationwide. However, this represents only a fraction of Nigeria’s 30,000 primary health centers.
Challenges being addressed include:
- Limited internet access in rural areas
- Low digital literacy among some community members
- Need for community champions to support residents in providing feedback
The platform has encouraged greater use of primary health care services among young people. It is gradually changing perceptions among older citizens who previously associated PHCs only with antenatal care, child services, or malaria treatment.
Family Planning Research Findings
Data from National Demographic and Health Survey
Research from the National Demographic and Health Survey provides critical evidence for family planning policy:
- Communities practicing child spacing can reduce maternal deaths by up to 40 percent
- Proper family planning leads to improved health outcomes for mothers and children
- Family planning creates significant cost savings by preventing unintended pregnancies
Economic Benefits of Family Planning Investment
Family planning funding provides multiple economic benefits:
- Healthier, more productive communities contribute to Nigeria’s economy
- Preventing unintended pregnancies reduces healthcare costs
- Proper child spacing allows families to invest more in each child’s education and wellbeing
- Reduced maternal mortality keeps mothers in the workforce
What Policymakers Must Do for Family Planning
Immediate Actions for Family Planning Success
Prioritize budget allocation and release:
- Ensure approved family planning budgets are fully released, not just partially funded
- Increase allocations beyond current levels to meet population needs
Leverage international partnerships:
- Channel family planning commodity purchases through USAID to benefit from economy of scale pricing
- Maximize matching grant opportunities to stretch limited resources
Long-Term Family Planning Strategies
Strengthen accountability mechanisms:
- Track how family planning funds are spent
- Ensure transparent procurement of family planning commodities
- Use tools like the PHC portal to monitor service delivery
Integrate family planning with broader health services:
- Connect family planning programs with maternal and child health services
- Ensure primary health centers can provide comprehensive reproductive health services
- Train healthcare workers on family planning counseling and service delivery
Build partnerships:
- Strengthen collaboration between federal and state governments on family planning
- Engage civil society organizations working on family planning advocacy
- Partner with media to raise awareness and drive policy change
What Researchers Should Study About Family Planning
Critical Research Gaps in Family Planning
Researchers can contribute to family planning policy by studying:
Quantification exercises:
- How much family planning commodities does Nigeria actually need?
- What are the gaps between supply and demand in different states?
- How can forecasting improve to prevent stockouts?
Cost-effectiveness analysis:
- Compare costs of purchasing family planning supplies through different mechanisms
- Calculate return on investment for family planning programs
- Quantify economic benefits of preventing maternal deaths through family planning
Implementation research:
- What barriers prevent women from accessing family planning services?
- How effective are different community engagement approaches?
- What models work best for integrating family planning into primary healthcare?
Digital health tools:
- How can platforms like the PHC portal improve family planning service delivery?
- What strategies overcome digital literacy and internet access challenges?
- How does citizen feedback improve family planning program quality?
Family Planning Data Collection Priorities
Researchers should focus on:
- Tracking family planning commodity availability at facility level
- Measuring family planning uptake across different demographics
- Documenting maternal health outcomes in areas with strong family planning programs
- Evaluating state-level family planning budget performance
- Assessing impact of media advocacy on family planning policy
Stakeholder Roles in Family Planning Success
Government Responsibility for Family Planning
Federal and state governments must:
- Approve adequate budgets for family planning programs
- Release approved funds promptly and completely
- Procure family planning commodities transparently through cost-effective mechanisms
- Support primary health centers to deliver quality family planning services
- Monitor and evaluate family planning program performance
Civil Society Advocacy for Family Planning
Organizations like the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning and Pathfinder International play crucial roles:
- Advocating for increased family planning funding
- Building capacity of journalists and media professionals
- Tracking government budget commitments and releases
- Representing community voices in family planning policy discussions
- Convening stakeholders to address family planning challenges
Ejike Oji, as Civil Society representative of FP 2030 Commitment and convener of the 5 million women database, demonstrates the importance of organized civil society in family planning advocacy.
Media’s Unique Family Planning Mandate
Journalists have a unique responsibility to:
- Highlight lived experiences of women and families regarding family planning
- Ensure accuracy, ethics, and depth in family planning reporting
- Frame family planning issues to focus on solutions
- Bring attention to real challenges, policies, and community perspectives
- Influence family planning policy through investigative and data-driven journalism
As Bayo Ewuola emphasized, the power of storytelling can advance maternal health and family planning issues by creating life-saving narratives that resonate with communities.
Family Planning Impact: Beyond Numbers
Real Lives Saved Through Family Planning
Family planning is not just about statistics and budgets. As stakeholders at the training emphasized, family planning saves real lives:
- Mothers who survive childbirth because their bodies had time to recover between pregnancies
- Babies who are born healthier because their mothers received proper prenatal care
- Families who can afford better education for their children because they planned family size
- Communities where fewer women die from pregnancy complications
Building a Healthier Nigeria Through Family Planning
When family planning programs receive proper funding and support:
- Maternal mortality rates decrease significantly
- Child health outcomes improve
- Families have more resources to invest in education and economic opportunities
- Healthcare systems become more efficient and cost-effective
- Nigeria’s economy benefits from healthier, more productive communities
Biobelle Davidson emphasized this point: “Improving health systems does not only save lives, but it also strengthens Nigeria’s economy by supporting healthier, more productive communities.”
Key Family Planning Recommendations
For Policymakers Working on Family Planning
Budget and financing:
- Increase family planning allocations beyond current levels
- Ensure timely and complete release of approved family planning budgets
- Allocate state counterpart funds following Gombe State’s example
- Channel procurement through USAID to maximize value
Service delivery:
- Integrate family planning services with maternal and child health programs
- Strengthen primary health centers to deliver comprehensive reproductive health services
- Address facility readiness gaps identified through the PHC portal
- Deploy community champions to increase family planning awareness and uptake
For Researchers Studying Family Planning
Priority research areas:
- Conduct rigorous quantification exercises to determine commodity needs
- Evaluate cost-effectiveness of different procurement mechanisms
- Study barriers to family planning access and uptake
- Document best practices in family planning service integration
- Assess impact of digital tools like the PHC portal on service quality
Data collection:
- Track family planning commodity availability and stockouts
- Measure maternal health outcomes in relation to family planning uptake
- Monitor budget allocations and releases at federal and state levels
- Evaluate media influence on family planning policy
Moving Family Planning Forward
Current Momentum for Family Planning
Nigeria has made significant strides in family planning commitment:
- Unprecedented $60 million allocation for family planning commodities by the Minister of Health
- N5.77 billion from Presidential Initiative For Value Chain for family planning supplies
- Growing recognition of family planning’s role in reducing maternal mortality
- Increased media attention and advocacy capacity for family planning issues
Remaining Family Planning Challenges
Despite progress, significant challenges persist:
- Gap between approved family planning budgets and actual releases
- Insufficient coverage – only 1,000 of 30,000 primary health centers tracked on PHC portal
- Accountability concerns in family planning commodity procurement
- Limited awareness of family planning benefits in some communities
- Poor remuneration for health workers and journalists covering family planning issues
What Success Looks Like for Family Planning
A successful family planning system in Nigeria would feature:
- Adequate and consistently released family planning budgets at all government levels
- Accessible family planning services at every primary health center
- Well-trained healthcare workers providing quality family planning counseling
- Strong partnerships between government, civil society, and media on family planning
- Evidence-based policies informed by research and community feedback
- Visible reduction in maternal and child mortality rates
As Alhassan Yahaya stated, journalists and all stakeholders have both the platform and responsibility to change the narrative on maternal mortality in Nigeria through effective family planning advocacy.
Summary: Family Planning as a Life-Saving Priority
Family planning represents one of the most cost-effective interventions to reduce maternal and child mortality in Nigeria. Research clearly demonstrates that communities practicing child spacing can reduce maternal deaths by up to 40 percent.
Key facts for policymakers and researchers:
- Nigeria made historic commitments to family planning funding in 2025, but gaps remain between approvals and actual releases
- Purchasing family planning commodities through USAID provides significant cost savings through economy of scale and matching grants
- Integrating family planning with maternal newborn and child health programs improves outcomes and efficiency
- Media advocacy and accountability tools like the PHC portal play crucial roles in driving family planning policy change
- Stronger partnerships, wider community involvement, and greater visibility are essential for real progress in family planning
The message from health sector stakeholders and media professionals is clear: state governments must prioritize funding for family planning and MNCH programs. This is not an abstract policy discussion – it is about saving the lives of mothers, sisters, daughters, and building healthier, more prosperous communities across Nigeria.
Conclusion
Family planning funding and effective implementation can transform maternal and child health outcomes in Nigeria. Policymakers and researchers have critical roles to play in advancing family planning policies, ensuring adequate resource allocation, and generating evidence for continuous improvement. For more resources on family planning, gender equity, and reproductive health, visit genderpedia.ng/shop to access educational materials and support family planning advocacy efforts.
