The FP2030 is a global partnership aimed at empowering women and girls to lead healthy lives and make informed choices about contraceptive use.
The Nigerian government on Thursday reiterated its commitment to achieve the Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate of 27 per cent to meet the Family Planning 2030 (FP2030) target.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, said this at the ongoing 8th Nigeria Family Planning Conference 2024 in Abuja.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom, Mr Pate identified family planning as a critical tool for managing population growth.
He said the FP2030 goal aligns with the country's health sector reforms to ensure that Nigerians of reproductive age have access to comprehensive, affordable, and high-quality FP service.
"As we gather here today, we do so with a sense of urgency and purpose as Nigeria's rapid population growth continues to outpace our ability to meet the increasing demands for jobs, housing, healthcare, education and other essential services," he said.
He said this reality underscores the importance of FP as a strategic tool for managing population growth while addressing the challenge of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality.
FP Conference
The three-day conference themed, "Sustaining Commitments for Family Planning within the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, Advancing Progress towards Achieving FP2030 Goals," is organised by the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Mr Pate said this year's theme highlights the critical role FP plays in driving health improvement and socio-economic transformation.
He said FP is not merely a health intervention but a foundation for women's empowerment, poverty reduction and sustainable national development.
"Without a girl child education, there is nothing much we can do pertaining to FP," he said.
FP 2030 target
The FP2030 is a global partnership supporting women's and girls' reproductive rights. It aims to empower women and girls to lead healthy lives and make informed choices about contraceptive use.
It also aims to hasten the process of addressing obstacles that delay the advancement of commitments made by governments towards FP, by strengthening result-oriented partnerships with stakeholders and experts.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, had missed the initial FP target set for 2020, partly due to the government's failure to fund the programme, thereby hindering progress. FP 2020 goal was to enable 120 million additional women and girls of reproductive age globally to have access to contraceptives by the year 2020.
At the dawn of the deadline, the FP 2020 target indicators show that Nigeria has only 12 per cent MCPR for women.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of FP2030, Samukeliso Dube, said countries are making progress in ensuring access to contraceptives, and Nigeria cannot be left behind.
Ms Dube, a doctor, said as of today, there are 98 million new users of modern contraceptives globally.
She said: "Conceptualised in 2012, FP2030 sort to achieve 120 million additional users of FP by 2020, today we are standing at 98 million new users of Modern Contraceptives globally".
"The scenario that has been painted today is that of political will and nothing is going to work without seeing politicians coming in full force, supported by commissioners and governors, ministers and presidents."
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Significant progress so far
Highlighting significant progress made, Mr Pate said fertility rates have declined from an average of six children per woman in 1990 to 4.8 today and MCPR has risen from four per cent to 15 per cent.
However, the minister noted that the unmet need for FP remains high at 20 per cent, noting that regional disparities exist.
He said this figure serves as a reminder of the work ahead of Nigeria as a nation.
He noted that to accelerate progress towards achieving FP2030, the government must prioritise improved domestic funding for FP services and also integrate FP into essential services.
"We can do this by embedding FP into antenatal care, immunisation programmes and HIV treatment programmes, coupled with its integration into the health insurance scheme to enhance the delivery and uptake of FP services," he said.
