Experts have warned that high infant and maternal mortality rate, increasing unemployment, food insecurity and population growth is dragging Nigeria into a crisis. Experts concluded that the nation must look towards population control as a tool to mitigate these challenges threatening Nigerians. This exertion was made during a one-day Stakeholders’ meeting on the future of the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP) as an umbrella body of non-state actors in the family planning space.

The meeting, which had the objective of briefing stakeholders on the affairs of family planning in Nigeria, also meant to galvanize stakeholders to wake up to the fact that the country is in a demographic-crisis. Also, the  meeting intended to come up with innovative strategies to mobilize local resources to support family planning, to look at what and how stakeholders could advance family planning, and to help develop a background document for the strategic retreat coming up next month that will clearly set out a strategic vision and plan for the next five  years

Key Presentations

In his presentation, the Board Chairman, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning in Nigeria (AAFP), Alhaji Sani Umar (Sarkin Yarki Jabi), set the tone for the day’s deliberation, highlighting the demerits of overpopulation in the face of global warming. Alhaji Umar argued that the situation of high infant and maternal mortality rate, increasing unemployment, and food insecurity in Nigeria was unacceptable. He opined that Nigeria should train the girl-child, encourage self-enterprise, and increase government funding for health and family planning to address these problems.

In his keynote speech, Dr. Stanley Ukpai, Senior Technical Advisor development Research and Projects Center (dRPC)- PACFaH@Scale Project, raised concern on Nigeria’s demographics and charged the forum to work towards changing the narratives. He maintained that family planning remains the most cost-effective way of facing the population crisis bedeviling Nigeria.

In his presentation, titled, “The Journey so far” Dr Ejike Orji took everyone down memory lane, revealing what led to the formation of AAFP in 2010, the support the body has received and milestones covered. He poured encomiums on founding members and organization who stood by AAFP during the formative period and are still identifying with them thus far. He thanked specially the dRPC for funding this meeting and the institutional support they are given AAFP. He then mentioned the following as the major planks for the future direction of AAFP

• To participate in all Family Planning related issues both locally and internationally
• To continuously engage with partners, NPOPC and FMOH on Family Planning and population matters
• The 20th September 2019 stakeholders meeting would be a precursor to another strategic visioning exercise which will help craft the pathway for the organization for the next 5 years

Mr. Peter Oshaji, in his presentation titled ‘Rapid Tool’, submitted his worries about Nigeria’s population size, growth rate, productivity and debt profile. He explained that 30% of Nigeria’s annual budget is used to service debt. The country’s population, he insists, has grown from 192million people in 2017 to about 200million people today. With a growth rate of 3% and fertility rate of 5.5%, Nigeria’s demographics shows that about 44% of her total population are under 15years in age. It’s better imagined what our population figures will look like when they develop and mature. Exponential growth in population no doubt has its merits however, it becomes a disaster if we fail to plan. The impact of exponential growth in population affects so many key sectors negatively: education, health, agriculture and the economy. Population explosion will increase the number of out-of-school children and put a strain on resources for education managed by agencies like Universal Basic Education Board and State Universal Basic Education Board at the federal and state levels respectively. High population growth will also impact negatively on what we spend on healthcare, increasing the number of people to feed.
He concluded the presentation by outlining the need for urgent steps to address this downward turn of events.

Comments and observations:

Many participants expressed their views and called for concerted efforts to address Nigeria’s overpopulation which they said, is responsible for most of the country’s social crisis.

Plenary Session

Attendees were at this point divided into three groups (Partnerships; Membership and Funding Mechanisms), and were asked to come up with recommendations for AAFP to adopt for the next five years.

Recommendations

(A)Partnerships:

• AAFP should collaborate with community based non-profit organizations with large networks, to design and implement advocacy strategies. Such organizations include the NCWS, students’ unions and he Nigerian Association of Medical Students
• There should be collaborations with Academia for capacity building and research to support evidence-based advocacy.
• AAFP should form strategic partnerships with businesses aimed at leveraging resources present within their corporate social responsibility portfolios for FP.
• There should be strategic partnerships aimed at building the capacity of state actors such as the CSOs to hold government accountable for its commitments in regard to funding and last-mile distribution of FP commodities.
• There should be collaborations across board to design and implement initiatives that target the informal sector such as out-of-school adolescents).
• AAFP should explore partnerships with the under-listed bodies/organizations:

1. The uniformed services (Army, navy, air force and police.
2. The Media (Print and Electronic).
3. The legislature especially the Senate and House Committees on Health in the National Assembly.
4. The Nigerian Governors Forum, and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria.
5. The Association of Private and General Medical Practitioners, the Guild of Medical Directors, Association of Community Midwives, Association of Community Pharmacists, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Association of Nurses and Midwives, Federation of Muslim Women Association and their Christian counterparts, the Nigeria Guild of Editors, Nigeria Medical Association, Nigeria Economic Forum, NCWS, Lagos Business School, and International Federation of women lawyers (FIDA).
6. Partnerships with Non-health MDAs including Women Affairs, NBS, Ministry of Finance and Budget, National Planning Commission, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Nigerians in the Diaspora, etc.

• It was also agreed that strategic mechanisms of FP delivery will help in increasing awareness and uptake:

1. Partnerships with bloggers and Social Media influencers
2. Insist on Child birth Spacing/Family Planning as a fundamental human right
   Make Family Planning services free at public and private sector service delivery point
3. Mass promotion of the “Green dot” as a key component of the FP (IEC)
   The quality of life of Nigerians matter.
4. The capacity of major key players should be built and enhanced as messaging will be different for different strata of the population.

(B)Membership

• AAFP should expand to newer CSOs, especially those involved in health accountability
• AAFP should expand to include facilitators of advocacy at the highest level such as the Albright Stonebridge Group
• Academic institutions should be included as associate members
• NGOs specifically focused on health research would provide the necessary evidence of advocacy
• AAFP should reach out to Nigeria Interfaith Action Association (NIFAA)
• Identify national adolescent-focused organizations such as EVA and women-focused groups (NCWS, MWAN)

On individuals as members:

1. During advocacy programs, AAFP may co-opt some individuals specifically to enhance the membership drive
2. Attract influential people in the society to join the AAFP
3. Approach youth arms of socio-cultural groups (AREWA Youths, Ohaneze, Afenifere etc.) to join the association
4. Female Lawyers should be encouraged to join the association

• There should be a cut-off limit to membership. Alternatively, membership can be divided into categories as shown below:

1. Strategic partners
2. Strategic members
3. Affiliates
4. Actual members
5. Friends

• On Strategic messaging, AAFP should frame messages using a consumer lens:

1. Identify the appropriate entry points (e.g. reduction in maternal mortality, higher quality of life)
2. Use appropriate terms (e.g. birth spacing as opposed to family planning in some areas
3. Messaging around population should be on the quality of life and not numbers

• Have deep discussions on issues of population and resource allocation:

1. Train the messenger (IPs)
2. Develop appropriate messaging (AAFP)
3. Use appropriate entry points

• Integrate family planning messages in other human development messages
• Reach out to the NHIS to adopt a comprehensive family planning coverage in their benefit plans
• Education is a very important tool for development and economic prosperity especially education for the girl-child.

(C)Funding Mechanisms

In regard to funding mechanisms

• AAFP should be dues-driven
• There should be a road map for grant-funding which should be part of the long-term strategy
• Funding should not be completely borne by partners, private sector organizations (multinationals, private investors, entrepreneurs etc.) should be included
• Explore institutional grants support

CONCLUSION

• There will be a need to look at the National Population Policy, so we can have our messaging resonate in this document
• Members of the TMC should identify more with the goals of AAFP and match words with action as this has been in short supply before now