To effectively lower maternal mortality rates in Nigeria, authorities must tackle both complications during pregnancy and childbirth, as well as unintended pregnancies, which can be prevented through quality family planning services. According to FP2030 estimates, modern contraceptive use in Nigeria prevented approximately 2.66 million unintended pregnancies and averted an estimated 19,000 maternal deaths in 2024. However, access to contraceptives remains limited. The 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey found that only 15% of currently married women aged 15–49 used a modern contraceptive method, while 21% had an unmet need for family planning. These figures highlight a gap between women’s reproductive intentions and their ability to access necessary services.
Turning Research into Real-World Impact
In partnership with Organon, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), FP2030, and Pathfinder International, Nigeria Health Watch convened a webinar themed “Family Planning as a Pathway for Maternal Mortality Reduction” in the lead-up to the 11th Nigeria Health Watch Future of Health Conference. Opening the discussion, Dr. Adachi Eke, Director of Strategy and New Business at Nigeria Health Watch, emphasized the need to translate existing evidence into measurable improvements in women’s health.
“The gap is not in the evidence; it’s in how we turn that evidence into results for more women,” she said. Achieving this requires integrating family planning into existing maternal health interventions, particularly the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiative (MAMII), while addressing interconnected health system and sociocultural barriers that limit women’s access to accurate information, preferred contraceptive methods, and quality reproductive healthcare.
Dr. Samuel Oyeniyi, Director and Head of the Reproductive Health Division at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, emphasized that progress depends on moving from parallel program implementation to integrating family planning into essential health services. He highlighted the need to focus not only on expanding contraceptive use but also on improving service organization and delivery to enhance maternal health outcomes. The World Health Organization (WHO)’s 2025 practical guide on post-pregnancy family planning shows the importance of leadership, service delivery, workforce capacity, reliable supplies, information systems, and financing in expanding access.
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Strengthening Community-Based Solutions
MAMII provides an opportunity to embed family planning across community engagement, facility readiness, and maternal health service delivery. Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, National Coordinator of MAMII, stressed that preventing unintended pregnancies must be part of the country’s strategy to reduce maternal deaths. “The best way to prevent maternal death is to make sure that the women are not pregnant, and if ever they are pregnant, it is intended and wanted,” he stated.
Community engagement must be supported by trained providers, reliable supplies, and functional facilities capable of responding to referrals. Dr. Amina Dorayi, Nigeria’s Director and Regional Portfolio Director at Pathfinder International, reinforced the need to make family planning central to maternal health planning. Pathfinder’s experience with group antenatal care in Borno State demonstrates the potential of integrated service delivery, reaching over 17,000 pregnant women in its first seven months and increasing first-trimester antenatal care uptake by 28%.
Moving from Promises to Reliable Care
Despite growing recognition of family planning’s role in maternal survival, fragmented planning, inadequate financing, and weak implementation remain barriers. Dr. Alain Damiba, Managing Director of FP2030’s North, West, and Central Africa Regional Hub, noted that preventive interventions often receive less attention than emergency care because their impact is less visible. He explained, “a life-threatening pregnancy prevented through family planning is very hard to see, and therefore it is easier to overlook when we allocate resources.” Translating policy commitments into consistent services requires integrating family planning into implementation plans, budgets, commodity procurement, health insurance arrangements, and accountability mechanisms.
Dr. Ummuul-khulthum Bajoga, Family Planning and Reproductive Health Commodity Security Specialist at UNFPA Nigeria, called for stronger government leadership and domestic resource mobilization to sustain family planning programs, emphasizing the need to track budget allocations, releases, and expenditure, as well as strengthen national procurement, supply chain, and data systems. To advance these discussions, Organon and MSI Reproductive Choices co-hosted a side event during the 2026 Future of Health Conference in Abuja, exploring how family planning could be incorporated into MAMII’s six strategies.
