By Lekan Lisoye
The Federal Government has announced plans to commence the local production of family planning commodities as part of efforts to reduce dependence on imports, create jobs and strengthen Nigeria’s human capital development.
The government also inaugurated the Nigeria FP2030 High-Level Inter-Ministerial Platform on Family Planning, Health, Human Capital and National Development to improve coordination among relevant ministries, agencies and stakeholders.
Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said Nigeria’s rapidly growing population could become a major economic asset if properly supported with investments in health, education, skills and employment.
Pate said local production of family planning commodities would not only improve access to essential health products but also create economic opportunities for young Nigerians and retain more value within the country.
He noted that Nigeria, with an estimated population of about 230 million and a predominantly youthful population, adds millions of people annually and is projected to reach between 450 million and 500 million by 2050.
According to him, the government must therefore take deliberate steps to ensure that the growing population is healthy, educated, skilled and economically productive.
Pate explained that the new inter-ministerial platform would adopt a life-course approach, bringing together government institutions to address the needs of Nigerians from adolescence through adulthood, parenthood and old age.
He said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare would focus on strengthening health systems and improving access to essential services, while the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning would support human capital investment, national development planning and efficient resource allocation.
The Minister also highlighted the roles of the Ministries of Finance, Women Affairs, Education and Youth Development, as well as the National Population Commission (NPC), in achieving the objectives of the platform.
He stressed that family planning, reproductive health, girls’ education, youth empowerment and access to health information were interconnected components of human capital development.
Pate further called for improved access to primary healthcare, particularly maternal, newborn and child health services, noting that reducing child mortality was closely linked to fertility decisions and families’ ability to plan their desired family size.
He urged the National Orientation Agency to strengthen public awareness, community engagement and efforts to combat misinformation that could undermine health interventions.
The Coordinating Minister said the initiative would require a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach involving federal, state and local governments, civil society organisations, the private sector and development partners.
He challenged the platform to move beyond meetings and discussions to deliver measurable results, including improved financing and implementation of family planning and human capital programmes at the sub-national level.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of FP2030 West and Central Africa Office, Dr Alain Damiba, commended the Federal Government for establishing the platform.
Damiba said family planning and health should not be viewed as the sole responsibility of the health sector, stressing that both were critical to national development and required coordinated action across government.
He said empowering women and young people to make informed and voluntary decisions about their reproductive health could improve health outcomes while also contributing to education, economic productivity and the wellbeing of families and communities.
“Health, including family planning, is a smart investment in human capital and Nigeria’s future,” he said.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom S. mni, said improving the health and wellbeing of Nigerians required coordinated action across sectors, including population, education, finance, women affairs, economic planning and social protection.
Represented by the Director of Family Health in the Ministry, Dr Ahmad Muhammad Ozi, Kachollom said the platform would help deepen understanding of the links between family planning, health-system strengthening, maternal and newborn health, human capital development and sustainable national development.
She urged members to focus on practical and measurable actions that would strengthen collaboration among relevant ministries, departments and agencies.
Stakeholders from the Ministries of Youth Development, Women Affairs and Social Development, Finance, and Budget and Economic Planning, alongside the National Population Commission, National Primary Health Care Development Agency and civil society organisations, pledged their support for the initiative.
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