Bukola Afeni
As part of measures of improving Family Planning (FP) services in Nigeria, the Health Sector Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON) has urged policymakers to include a dedicated budget line for Family Planning in the Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT) 2025 budget.
The Executive Secretary, HERFON Dr Celestine Okorie stated this at a
Capacity Strengthening Workshop for CSOs and Media on integration of dedicated budget line for FP in FCT.
He said the advocacy effort is aimed at strengthening FP services in the FCT, by securing a specific allocation of funds, and ensuring sustained support and expansion of FP initiatives in the country.
According to him, family planning programs actually take place across states in Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory .
“With family planning budget line in place in all 36 states and the FCT, adequate resources can be mobilized for Family planning in the country”.
He expressed worry over the rate at which the population of Nigeria is growing, noting that Nigeria’s population is more than its resources.
”You can imagine our population in years to come, you can see the poverty the country is experiencing now, in terms of security, so there is a need for us to control our population growth.”
He also seek for more access to contraceptives for women in terms of commodities and services so that lives of women and adolescents could be saved.⁷
“The challenge we have is that over the years, family planning has been driven by donors, and the times are changing, there is what we call donors fatigue.
The donors are getting tired of donating, they want to also demonstrate that we can contribute to our program by budgeting for health.”
”Nigeria itself has not been playing its role leaving most responsibilities to development partners to fund family planning programs in the country,” he added.
He said “even if it’s less than 1% of the total health bidget, we are seeking for allocation of a dedicated budget line for family planning in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).”
Okorie said once the budget is adopted in the Federal Capital Territory other States will adopt the policy.
The Program Manager (HERFON), Dr Opeyemi Adeosun called on the National Assembly (NASS) Committee on FCT to approve at least one percent of the year 2025 annual health budget to Family Planning.
He said the Federal Government of Nigeria made a commitment under the FP2030 document to invest at least one percent of the health budget to Family Planning (FP).
Dr. Adeosun noted that In the 2024 appropriated budget, the Nigerian government created a specific budget line for FP for the first time.
” We need desired mobilization of domestic resources for the sexual and reproductive health of women and adolescents across the country. The policy should be implemented at the subnational levels (States and LGAs).”
He said there is a need to domesticate the policy at the subnational levels, especially at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the seat of the Federal government which has no dedicated budget line for FP.
”This requires the conduct of strategic advocacy to get the buy-in of key stakeholders, policymakers, and all members of the National Assembly (NASS) Committee in the FCT who play important roles in the budget-making process.”
The Representative of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Mrs Helen David urged government to prioritize family planning, while emphasizing the need for dedicated budget allocation for FP in the FCT.
She said family planning is crucial for economic growth and development, as it directly impact the well-being of children and mothers.
The FCT FOMWAN Chairperson Health Committee, Hajia Hauwa Ibrahim Adamu said Family Planning aids in addressing the need of mothers, children, families, communities and nation at large.
She also emphasized the need to examine factors affecting access to family planning commodities.
