Nigeria should accelerate women’s access to family planning – Advocates
As Nigeria prepares to mark International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025, advocates are urging for accelerated action to improve women’s access to family planning.
They emphasised that family planning was crucial to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Goals 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, and 13.
Mrs Suliyat Eletu, Communication and Knowledge Management Officer at DevComs, told newsmen on Friday in Damaturu that the organisation supported the theme of the 2025 IWD, which called for accelerating women’s access to family planning (FP).
“It is more than just a health intervention, it is a catalyst for gender equality, economic empowerment, and sustainable development.”
Eletu stressed that access to family planning enabled women to complete their education, join the workforce, and contribute to society.
She also noted that childbirth spacing significantly reduced maternal and infant mortality rates.
She highlighted that the 2025 theme, “Accelerate Action,” focused on strategies and tools that would drive women’s progress in education, employment, and leadership.
Dr Taiwo Johnson, Country Lead at The Challenge Initiative (TCI) Nigeria, asserted that “by allowing women to make informed choices about their reproductive health, childbirth spacing ensures better health outcomes.”
He further explained that it would lead to improved economic opportunities and enhanced quality of life for families and communities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that TCI, managed by The Johns Hopkins Centre for Communication Programme (CCP), has been providing technical support to 22 Nigerian states since 2017 to strengthen local family planning responses.
NAN
