By Misbahu Shehu
It is no longer news that by 2050, Nigeria will be the most populous country after India and China; according to Statista, Nigeria’s population will hover around 410 million people. The Journey to the 2050 population figure is already at play today as Nigeria currently has one the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, and it’s the 3rd highest in Africa. Since 2017, Nigeria’s mortality rate has increased by 14% from 917 per 100,000 live births to 1047 per 100,000 live births in 2020. This, combined with the high fertility rate of 4.8(NDHS 2023-24) and low MCPR (15% NDHS 2023-24), highlights the need for an integrated approach to address FP and MNCH needs in Nigeria.
A good illustration of variability in the states is the Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate MCPR rates of 11% in Kano, 13% in Kaduna and 31% in Lagos state, respectively. Similar differences can be seen in maternal and infant mortality and other health indices. It is instructive to state that Nigeria’s sustainable family planning 2030 goal is to increase access to family planning services from 12 % to 27% by focusing on high-impact interventions by reducing stockouts, improving domestic financing, empowering women and girls and encouraging participation of men and boys in family planning. It is for the latter that Kano State is forging a path which must be commended.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has conceptualised projects that aim to implement high-impact practices in states like Kano to assist in achieving Nigeria’s family planning goals. Just recently, Kano State launched the first-ever comprehensive Family Planning Strategic Plan midwifed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The launch marked an essential step in Kano State’s commitment to advancing family planning. Most importantly, it set the stage for collective action, collaboration, and accountability to improve FP services and outcomes in the state.
The Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, chaired the launch, which was supported by the heads of health agencies, directors, and Family Planning sector representatives in Kano. To underscore the event’s importance and sustainability, representatives of the State Council of Ulama and the Emirate Council Committee on Health were also on hand to ensure a robust engagement.
The strategic plan’s core elements include outlining routine and mitigation activities, high-impact practices, monitoring, and evaluation.
The second session, led by the Health Commissioner, called for key actions, including aligning FP supply chain activities, improved coordination among FP partners, strengthening the monitoring and evaluation system, and concrete support for capacity building and task-sharing to expand service delivery.
Interestingly, based on the plan to build a holistic ecosystem, the second session of the meeting emphasized the importance of broad cross-cutting community engagement efforts, including adopting youth champions, the involvement of male figures, and significantly leveraging on Kannywood actors and musicians alongside other media and digital initiatives.
It is worthy of note that some of the key elements that point to the success of this outing are the commitment from stakeholders to contribute to building the capacity of maternal healthcare service providers, helping improve community engagement, commodity forecasting, last-mile delivery, and improving service delivery data.
The aspiration for Nigeria to mitigate the impact of population growth on natural resources and state stability is mainly hinged on the successful implementation of strategies like the one launched in Kano, where the state will ultimately benefit from the multiplier effect of effective family planning global best practices. Thereby ensuring that Kano continues on the right path and a sustainable path. As the poet Rumi said, “When you start to walk on the way, the way appears.”
Misbahu Shehu is a public affairs analyst. He is based in Abuja.
