By Muhammad Amaan
The organized private sector has committed approximately $4 million to enhance family planning efforts, in support of family planning initiatives in Nigeria.
The commitment marked a major milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward achieving the FP2030 goals over the next six years.
This was contained in a communique issued by the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Dr. Ejike Oji, at the 8th Nigeria Family Planning Conference (NFPC), which took place from December 2nd to 6th at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
The conference was organised by the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP) in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and other key stakeholders.
According to the communique, announcement of this commitment underscores the growing recognition of family planning as not just a health issue, but a critical driver of sustainable economic development.
The communique noted that family planning has long been seen as key to improving women’s health, promoting economic growth, and empowering communities. The $4M pledge, a first of its kind, is expected to provide vital resources for advancing reproductive health services and ensuring broader access to family planning methods across the country.
Dr Oji, expressed optimism about the pledge, stating, “The support from the private sector signals a profound shift toward collective responsibility in advancing family planning. These funds will be crucial for bridging gaps in access to services, particularly in underserved regions.”
The communique noted that the pledge was made by a coalition of private sector organizations, including Wema Bank, which represents the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria.
The commitment comes at a time when Nigeria is facing critical health challenges, including a growing population and significant unmet needs in family planning.
In addition to the private sector’s financial support, the conference was attended by a diverse group of stakeholders, including government officials, international development partners, youth leaders, and advocates for people with disabilities.
Among the notable attendees were the Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who reiterated the importance of family planning as a cornerstone for Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
The conference also highlighted the challenges facing Nigeria’s family planning programs, particularly in relation to data collection, cross-border trade, and environmental issues.
However, a call to action was made for all stakeholders, including governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), youth-led groups, and civil society, to implement the conference’s recommendations by 2027 to ensure equitable, sustainable family planning services for all.
“The private sector’s $4 million pledge is a significant step towards meeting these goals and helping to alleviate some of the financial constraints currently hindering the full implementation of family planning programs,” the communique stated.
“The conference brought together over 1,297 onsite participants and nearly 4,000 online attendees from across the globe, all united by the shared goal of advancing family planning in Nigeria,” it added.
Stakeholders emphasized the need for continued collaboration across all sectors to improve access to reproductive health services and achieve universal family planning access by 2030, stating that the commitment of the private sector and other partners offers a hopeful outlook for the future of family planning in Nigeria.
