Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
The Kwara State Government has intensified efforts to improve family planning uptake across the state, identifying misconceptions, concerns about side effects, shortages of contraceptive commodities and limited access to healthcare services as major obstacles.
The government’s latest intervention was discussed during a bi-annual stakeholders’ strategic coordination meeting on family planning held in Ilorin, where health officials, development partners and other stakeholders reviewed challenges affecting access to reproductive health services.
The meeting focused on strengthening government ownership, improving coordination and expanding family planning services as part of wider efforts to improve maternal and reproductive healthcare in Kwara State.
Government identifies barriers to family planning
Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, said several factors continue to discourage residents from accessing family planning services.
Among the challenges identified are myths and misconceptions surrounding contraception, fear of side effects, concerns about privacy and confidentiality, religious and socio-cultural influences, inadequate involvement of men and insufficient access to reliable information.
The government also identified shortages of family planning commodities, inadequate funding, geographical barriers and gaps in the quality of counselling available to clients.
Officials said addressing the problems would require stronger collaboration between government institutions, healthcare workers, development partners and communities.
The objective is to ensure that residents can obtain accurate information and voluntarily access appropriate family planning services without unnecessary barriers.
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ALT Text: Kwara State health officials and stakeholders during a meeting focused on improving family planning services and reproductive healthcare in Ilorin.
Image Caption: Health officials and stakeholders discuss strategies to improve family planning uptake and access to reproductive health services in Kwara State.
Focus on vulnerable communities
The state government has also called for greater attention to groups that may face additional difficulties accessing healthcare.
El-Imam urged stakeholders to consider the needs of adolescents, women living in hard-to-reach communities, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable populations.
For residents in remote areas, distance from healthcare facilities can make regular access to reproductive health services difficult. Social and cultural barriers can also influence whether individuals seek information or discuss family planning with healthcare providers.
In July, the Kwara State Ministry of Communications reported that the government and MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices were reviewing plans for the 2026/2027 family planning mobile outreach programme.
The planning process considered health facility capacity, availability of trained providers, community accessibility and the number of women of reproductive age in different locations.
Mobile outreach programmes can help extend services to communities where residents face difficulties travelling to established healthcare facilities.
Commodity availability remains important
The availability of contraceptive commodities is another significant component of the state’s strategy.
In September, the Kwara Ministry of Health reported that it had strengthened family planning services through training for healthcare workers in hormonal intrauterine device provision and family planning data management.
The training was intended to increase the number of qualified health workers able to provide hormonal IUD services across health facilities in the state.
The government has also reported the establishment of a budget line for family planning commodities.
However, health officials and programme partners have continued to emphasise the importance of maintaining reliable supplies. Training healthcare workers will have limited impact if essential contraceptive commodities are unavailable when residents seek services.
Community awareness and male involvement
Stakeholders have also identified community education as an important part of improving family planning uptake.
The state health authorities have encouraged greater involvement of men in reproductive health discussions, particularly in communities where family planning decisions may involve spouses and extended families.
During the recent hormonal IUD training, representatives of the Ministry of Health encouraged male participants to serve as advocates for family planning and help address misconceptions among other men.
Community mobilisation, health talks, referrals and outreach activities are also being used to connect residents with accurate information and available services.
A report on family planning interventions in Kwara said MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices was supporting 42 facilities through healthcare-worker training, commodity and consumable support, community mobilisation, outreach and data-quality monitoring.
Research highlights continuing challenges
Research conducted in Kwara also points to continuing gaps in awareness and access.
A 2026 study published in the Al-Hikmah Journal of Health Sciences examined family planning awareness and utilisation among 275 in-school teenagers in Adewole, Ilorin West Local Government Area.
The study reported overall awareness of 41.8 per cent, while 16.7 per cent of respondents said they had used a contraceptive method. Only 18.5 per cent knew where family planning services could be accessed.
The researchers identified socio-cultural and access-related factors among the barriers affecting utilisation.
Another study involving 400 women in Asa and Moro Local Government Areas examined factors associated with modern contraceptive use. The research highlighted the importance of access to healthcare facilities, communication between spouses, education and perceptions about contraceptive side effects.
The findings suggest that improving family planning uptake requires more than increasing the supply of contraceptive products. Information, affordability, accessibility, community attitudes and the quality of interactions between clients and healthcare providers also influence utilisation.
Kwara reports progress
Kwara has reported improvements in some family planning indicators while acknowledging that challenges remain.
The State Family Planning Coordinator, Hajia Bashirat Jatto, previously reported an increase in the state’s modern contraceptive prevalence rate, citing mid-year National Demographic and Health Survey figures.
She put the rate at 38.8 per cent, compared with 9.9 per cent in 2023–2024.
However, such figures need to be considered within the wider health system and do not, by themselves, establish that a particular programme or organisation caused the change.
Programme reports have also highlighted challenges involving funding, health-worker retention, insecurity and difficult road networks, especially in communities that are far from established health facilities.
Wider importance for maternal health
Family planning forms part of broader maternal and reproductive healthcare because it gives individuals and couples the opportunity to make informed decisions about the timing and spacing of pregnancies.
The Kwara Ministry of Health has linked stronger family planning services with efforts to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce preventable risks associated with pregnancy.
At the national level, UNFPA Nigeria’s 2025 annual report highlighted efforts to expand family planning through healthcare facilities and outreach programmes, alongside commodity procurement and last-mile distribution.
The report also identified Kwara among the states where efforts were being made to integrate family planning services into longer-term health financing arrangements.
For the state, sustaining progress will require continued attention to funding, commodity availability, healthcare-worker capacity, accessible facilities and accurate public information.
What happens next
The Kwara State Government and its partners are expected to continue strengthening family planning services through healthcare-worker training, community mobilisation, outreach programmes and improved commodity distribution.
The stakeholders’ meeting has also renewed attention on making services accessible to different population groups, including people living in underserved communities.
The success of these efforts will depend on whether the state can maintain reliable supplies, strengthen healthcare facilities and address social and informational barriers that influence people’s decisions about family planning.
Health authorities continue to encourage residents to obtain information from qualified healthcare professionals rather than relying on unverified claims about contraceptive methods.
The broader objective is to create a health system in which residents can access accurate information and voluntary family planning services regardless of their location or social circumstances.
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Sources
- Kwara State Ministry of Communications — Reports on family planning services, healthcare-worker training and the 2026/2027 mobile outreach programme.
- Kwara State Ministry of Health — Information on family planning training, hormonal IUD services and maternal-health initiatives.
- Al-Hikmah Journal of Health Sciences — Research examining family planning awareness, utilisation and barriers among populations in Kwara State.
- UNFPA Nigeria — 2025 Annual Report covering family planning access, commodity availability and health-system support in Nigeria.
- DailyLinks — Reporting on the Kwara stakeholders’ strategic coordination meeting and barriers affecting family planning uptake.
