The Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), has explained why investment in family planning commodities remain one of the strongest investments Nigeria can make.
Amina Haladu Mohammed, Programme Delivery Lead and Francophone Liaison, AHBN, stated this at the weekend in Abuja,
during the 9th Annual Health Conference of the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists (ANHEJ).
Speaking at the conference theme; ‘Domestic Resource Mobilization in the face of Dwindling Foreign Grants and Aids’, she said such investments reduce maternal and newborn deaths, prevent unintended pregnancies and strengthen economic growth.
However, she said the country faces a severe funding gap that threatens these gains.
“The Impact of Under-funding
In 2024 contributed to more than 800,000 unintended pregnancies and over 300,000 unsafe abortions. More than 10,000 women lost their lives to preventable complications. Nigeria also forfeited over two hundred million dollars in potential health savings. These outcomes illustrate the cost of inconsistent funding.”
On the 2025 situation in the country, she said
there has been no release of federal funds for contraceptive procurement for 2025. “The four-million-dollar government allocation for family planning commodities has not been released.
“Alongside this, ten percent of the sixty-billion-naira PVAC Medical Relief Fund was assigned for family planning procurement. This amounts to six billion naira. However, none of this has also been released. A full year without funding release will worsen national health indicators and weaken donor confidence.
“Nigeria has struggled with timely funding for years. The country missed the UNFPA Supplies Match Fund in both 2022 and 2023, losing roughly one-and-a-half million dollars annually. In 2024, the government lost an additional six-million-dollar tranche because commitments were not met. These repeated gaps disrupt procurement cycles and deepen the risk of national stockouts.”
On the risk ahead,
she said if Nigeria continues without releasing funds, facilities will face shortages, maternal and newborn complications will rise and more women will turn to unsafe methods. “These consequences threaten the country’s demographic and economic goals.
“We are urging the government to release the four-million-dollar allocation for family planning commodities and the ten percent PVAC Medical Relief Fund designated for procurement. Delay will worsen health outcomes and erode the confidence of partners supporting Nigeria’s reproductive health agenda.”
Speaking further, she said the media plays an essential role in holding institutions accountable. “Through storytelling and reporting, journalists can highlight the implications of delayed releases, elevate community experiences and keep public attention on the urgent need for predictable financing.”
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