Family planning mobilization activities took place during MNCH week.

For years, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) Week in Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria meant one thing: immunization and maternal and child health services, delivered on a well-worn, state-funded rhythm with no family planning systematically integrated.

Within days of The Challenge Initiative’s TCI) re-engagement with Akwa Ibom State in 2026, a single technical planning session with the State Family Planning (FP) Coordinator transformed the state-funded MNCH Week Phase One (in June 2026) into a fully integrated FP service delivery platform at no additional campaign cost. This time, the defining shift was proactive leadership and ownership from the State and local government areas (LGAs).

Armed with LGA performance analytics drawn from routine FP data and TCI’s data use coaching model, the State FP Coordinator, Mrs. Enobong Eshiet, and the TCI team worked with LGA FP supervisors to identify priority LGAs and facilities. Performance dashboards highlighted low FP uptake, missed opportunities and low community mobilization, which guided planning for integrated FP service delivery during the MNCH Week. This became a blueprint for where and how FP services would be integrated into the campaign.

During the campaign, LGA FP supervisors took the lead. They coordinated commodity logistics, ensuring the right mix of methods reached the target Primary Health Care Centers and Health Posts, supervised FP service delivery, and worked with community mobilizers to create awareness and inform clients about the availability of FP alongside routine MNCH services. Across the 10 TCI-supported LGAs in Akwa Ibom, FP services were delivered as part of the State funded MNCH Week, rather than as a separate stand-alone activity.

Early results are promising:

• 10,101 clients received FP counselling during MNCH week
• 7,358 new FP clients were recorded.

Other activities during MNCH week included family planning group counseling.

For many LGAs, this was the first time FP data were systematically captured during MNCH Week, demonstrating that integration isn’t just an idea on paper, it is feasible and impactful when government structures are in the lead.

As the RH Supervisor for Onna LGA noted:

Service integration in Primary Health Care is a strategy all the LGAs are buying into. The MNCH Week was a great opportunity to demonstrate that service Integration is cost-efficient. We used resources from the MNCH Week to increase FP service uptake in Akwa Ibom.

This story illustrates the TCI approach in action: leverage government-owned platforms rather than create parallel partner systems and use data for coaching to convert government staff from data reporters into data owners.

In Akwa Ibom, sustainability isn’t an afterthought, it is built in. By integrating FP into existing funded campaigns, empowering LGA supervisors to lead, and strengthening health systems, the program is delivering big impact more efficiently.