Cultural, religious, and political influences, Poor funding from national, state, and local government authorities and poor access to contraceptive services, especially in rural areas have been identified as some of the reasons militating against the success of Contraceptive use in Nigeria.
Consultant Obstetrician and gynaecologist, Family Planning Service Provider, and Researcher at University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Prof. Josiah Mutihir, stated this during a Webinar put together by Development Communications Network, DevComs, with support from The Challenge Initiative (TCI, Nigeria), titled 'Breaking Barriers: Advancing Access to Family Planning in Resource-Limited Settings'.
Mutihir, with other health professionals, agreed that expanding access to contraception is key to improving health outcomes, reducing maternal mortality, and ensuring young persons can make informed decisions about their reproductive lives.
This year’s theme, “The Power of Options: Empowering Choice, Enhancing Health”, highlights the importance of diverse contraceptive choices, especially in resource-limited settings like Nigeria, where cultural, economic, and logistical challenges continue to hinder access to essential reproductive health services, he said.
The experts emphasised the need for Nigeria to address high birth rates that opened the country and its citizens to various hardships over the years, despite years of global celebrations aimed at raising awareness, Nigeria continues to face significant barriers in family planning.
Mutihir called attention to the role of contraception in empowering individuals to take control of their reproductive health.
World Contraception Day serves as a platform for sensitising the public on contraception—what it is, its benefits, and how individuals can access it, "it is important to note that, awareness levels are high, with over 90% of both men and women who are knowledgeable about contraception, it is disheartening to note that the usage rate remains alarmingly low at just 17%.". Prof
Furthermore, Nigeria continues to grapple with an unmet need for contraception at 24.8%, revealing a gap between knowledge and access to effective family planning methods.
Mutihir emphasises that options create choices, and choices are key to empowering individuals to plan their families and futures, pointing out that, "From natural family planning methods to hormonal contraceptives, intrauterine devices, and permanent solutions, various contraceptive options exist, but access remains a pressing issue, particularly in underserved areas of Nigeria ". He opined
Challenges to Contraceptive Access in Nigeria
Nigeria’s Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) has shown minimal improvement with barriers such as Commodity stock-outs and limited availability of contraceptive methods.
Untrained healthcare providers and biases in service provision.
Lovina Victor Ibiok, Akwa Ibom Health Promotion Officer, advocates educating religious leaders on family planning to dispel misconceptions. “Many believers view contraceptives as immoral, by empowering leaders as influencers, they can promote informed decision-making and encourage followers to adopt family planning methods, improving overall health and well-being,” she said.
Mrs Patricia Osazuwa, Edo State, Director of Nursing Services said, “Comprehensive education on reproductive health and informed decision-making is essential for empowering young people”.
Isaac Adamu from Plateau emphasised the importance of male involvement in reproductive health decisions, suggesting that Family Planning Champions are crucial in influencing informed choices.
Family Planning Experts say that the benefits of Contraception are A Lifeline for Communities because it extends beyond individual health, as it increases contraceptives.
Lessons on maternal and infant mortality rates,
Improve socio-economic conditions, educational potential, and financial development for women and families and also
Empower women by offering freedom of choice in reproductive health decisions, leading to a better quality of life at the individual, family, community, and national levels" they said.
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