FG Moves to Begin Local Production of Family Planning Commodities

The Federal Government has inaugurated a high-level inter-ministerial platform to strengthen family planning, human capital development and national health outcomes, with plans to commence local production of family planning commodities.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the initiative would reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported commodities, create jobs and retain economic value within the country.

A statement signed by the Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, Ado Bako, on Friday, said Pate spoke in Abuja during the inauguration of the Nigeria FP2030 High-Level Inter-Ministerial Platform on Family Planning, Health, Human Capital and National Development.

He said Nigeria’s youthful and rapidly growing population could become a major driver of economic growth if the government invests deliberately in health, education, skills and employment.

According to him, the platform will adopt a life-course approach, bringing together key ministries and agencies to address the needs of Nigerians from adolescence to adulthood, parenthood and old age.

Pate said the Federal Ministry of Health would focus on strengthening health systems and access to essential services, while the Ministries of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Education, Women Affairs and Youth Development would contribute through financing, human capital investment, education and youth empowerment.

He also identified the National Population Commission as a key partner in population planning, demographic projections and efforts to harness Nigeria’s demographic dividend.

The minister stressed the importance of strengthening primary healthcare and ensuring access to maternal, newborn and child health services, noting that improved healthcare and family planning could help families make informed decisions about family size.

He called for stronger public awareness and community engagement to counter misinformation, urging federal, state and local governments, civil society, development partners and the private sector to work together.

Pate said the platform must go beyond meetings and produce concrete, measurable outcomes, particularly improved financing and implementation at the state and local government levels.

The Managing Director of FP2030 West and Central Africa Office, Dr Alain Damiba, commended the Federal Government for establishing the platform, describing it as an important step towards improving coordination, accountability and evidence-based decision-making.

Damiba said family planning should not be treated as the responsibility of the health sector alone, stressing that it has implications for education, economic productivity and the wellbeing of families.

“Health, including family planning, is a smart investment in human capital and Nigeria’s future,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom S. mni, represented by the Director of Family Health, Dr Ahmad Muhammad Ozi, said improved health outcomes require coordinated policies, aligned investments and shared accountability across government institutions.

Stakeholders from relevant ministries, the National Population Commission, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and civil society organisations pledged support for the new platform.