In Akwa Ibom State, there’s growing concern over the increasing reliance on traditional family planning methods among women of reproductive age. Despite the potential health risks, many are turning to these unverified techniques as a means of preventing pregnancy.
Experts warn that these methods—which include drinking herbal mixtures, practicing withdrawal during intercourse, and in some extreme cases, undergoing unsafe abortions—can lead to serious complications, including permanent infertility and damage to vital organs.
During a media roundtable in Uyo, Ekomobong Oton, the Research Monitoring and Evaluation Lead of The Challenge Initiative (TCI), a global urban reproductive health organization, expressed alarm at the trend.
Citing data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), she noted that 6 out of 10 women aged 15 to 49 in Akwa Ibom do not use any form of family planning. Alarmingly, the number of traditional method users increased by over 20% between 2018 and 2024.
The survey showed that while modern contraceptive usage dropped slightly from 18.3% in 2018 to 17.2% in 2024, traditional method usage jumped to 26.1%.
One major reason for the shift is the frequent stockouts of family planning commodities in health facilities across the state. According to TCI’s quality assessment report, 13 out of 15 facilities assessed in eight local government areas experienced shortages of key contraceptives such as microgynon, IUDs, condoms, Jadelle, and Implanon.
The limited availability of these commodities is largely due to funding gaps. While some health centers receive support from partners like TCI, there’s no guarantee these organizations will continue their assistance indefinitely.
To make matters worse, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has cut its funding for family planning commodities in Nigeria, highlighting the need for local governments to step up.
So far, 11 Nigerian states have begun implementing State Funded Procurement Guidelines to align with the FP2030 commitments. States like Delta, Osun, Edo, Rivers, Kaduna, and Lagos have allocated millions toward family planning procurement.
However, Akwa Ibom—despite its status as an oil-producing state—has yet to contribute to the national pool or release funds earmarked in previous budgets.
According to Enobong Eshiet, the state’s Family Planning Coordinator, although proposals were made—including a request for N100 million—only N10 million was approved, and even that was never released.
She emphasized that while guidelines for procurement exist and forecasting has been submitted, the government has yet to act.
“We adopted the procurement guidelines back in 2022 with support from the federal ministry and UNFPA, but nothing has been released since,” she explained.
The call for government action has grown louder. During an advocacy visit by the Ibom Advocacy Core Group, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem Emmanuel, assured that the government is committed to prioritizing family planning.
He said provisions for Akwa Ibom’s contribution to the National Basket Fund would be included in future budgets, and efforts would be made to follow through with actual releases.
Chairperson of the advocacy group, Dr. Mandu Ekpenyong, urged the government to take ownership of the efforts pioneered by TCI across ten LGAs. She stressed the need for immediate action, especially as TCI’s support may not be permanent.
As the need for accessible and safe family planning grows, advocates hope that the Akwa Ibom government will join other states in taking concrete steps to ensure reproductive health is prioritized.
Do you think Akwa Ibom State should invest more in family planning? Join the conversation in the comments and share this post to spread awareness. For more updates, follow NIGPOST.
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