Jigawa records 9,861 postpartum family planning clients across 13 LGAs

No fewer than 9,861 postpartum family planning clients were recorded in 13 local government areas of Jigawa State from October 2023 to May 2025.

This was disclosed by the Country Director of The Challenge Initiative (TCI), a non-governmental organisation, Dr Taiwo Johnson, during the Jigawa State high-level transition alignment meeting to institutionalise The Challenge Initiative (TCI)-supported family planning intervention, held at Haitel Hotel in Dutse, the state capital.

Dr Taiwo Johnson said the meeting, organised by the Jigawa State Government in partnership with TCI, brought together key stakeholders to deliberate on the institutionalisation and sustainability of family planning interventions initiated under the TCI programme across the state.

She noted that, “The primary objective of the meeting was to facilitate a structured and seamless transition of programme ownership to the state government, ensuring continuity, scalability, and long-term integration of TCI’s impactful work beyond the programme’s timeline, which runs from October 2023 to May 2025.”

According to her, “This was followed by comprehensive presentations that highlighted critical thematic areas, including family planning indices and TCI coverage, advocacy efforts, demand generation, strategic pillars of TCI, social mobilisation, service delivery, postpartum family planning (PPFP) uptake, coaching and capacity building, research, monitoring and evaluation, key learnings, implementation challenges, voices from the state, and compelling visual stories.”

She explained that the project was conducted in 13 out of the 27 local government areas in the state, where a total of 9,861 postpartum family planning clients were recorded. Additionally, 421 neighbourhood social mobilisation campaigns were carried out, 889 voluntary mobilisation efforts, 82 in-reaches, 36 service delivery outreaches, 120 association meetings, 234 key life event engagements, and 27 structured community dialogues.

The local government areas include Malammadori, Dutse, Birnin Kudu, Babura, Ringim, Buji, Kafin Hausa, Jahun, Gagarawa, Yankwashi, Gwaram, Maigatari, and Kiyawa.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the Jigawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (PHDA), Dr Shehu Sambo, called on the World Health Organization and the Federal Ministry of Health to break the monopoly in the supply of family planning commodities in Nigeria.

He made the call during the same high-level transition alignment meeting in Dutse.

Dr Sambo lamented that the current processes and procedures for accessing and supplying family planning commodities have been monopolised, which he said is one of the factors contributing to the slow progress in many states.

According to him, “I have a message to the lead team. I was at a national conference on family planning in 2024, and I spoke about the commodities. I challenged and asked the panel: as a surgeon, why can I freely go to the market and buy anaesthetic and other products, but it is difficult to buy family planning commodities freely in the market? Why the monopoly? Why is there only one supplier to feed the entire country? Why are we not allowed to manufacture? Everyone is talking about family planning. When they come to the state, the complaint is always demand and capacity, yet they leave the state with little supply from the national level. Everyone goes, leaving the Executive Secretary with the demands, crowds, and maternal mortality. Something must be done.”

The Executive Secretary added that a budget of $45 million is not enough for the supply of family planning commodities in Nigeria. “What is $45 million for a country like Nigeria? There is a need to do more and provide a tangible amount to meet the needs of Nigerians,” he said.

He also advised states to make adequate provisions for purchasing the commodities in order to supplement the federal government’s efforts, adding, “Here in Jigawa State, the government is trying. Presently, we have a work plan. A memo has already been prepared, and we are optimistic that His Excellency, the Governor, will approve it when it is presented to him.”

Dr Sambo further criticised the “Vision Health Fit 2030” which targets 27 percent family planning coverage in Nigeria, stating that the target is too low given the rate of maternal mortality in the country.

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