A capacity-building training in Kwara State.
Family planning is a powerful tool for economic empowerment, gender equality, and sustainable development. Across Nigeria, and particularly in Kwara State, The Challenge Initiative (TCI) is helping reshape how communities view and access family planning services. The result is transformative change for women, families, and health systems. Dr. Amina Ahmed Al-Imam, Honorable Commissioner for Health, stated the importance of this:
Family planning is very important…Women are becoming more and more economically viable, more economically empowered. They’re pursuing higher education and so on…. So if women are able to plan their families by saying, ‘Okay, I want to have a child before my Master’s program or after my PhD program,’ it makes it possible for them to get best of both worlds.”
But the benefits go beyond individual empowerment. Family planning reduces maternal and infant mortality, promotes economic stability, and strengthens the family unit. Dr. Oluwatosin Enoch Fakayode, Director for Public Health, explained:
It’s more than just reducing the number of children or appropriate spacing. It’s actually empowering family. It gives power to the family to be able to make informed decisions about their livelihoods.”
In Kwara State, early marriage is common, with many women marrying between the ages of 20 and 24. Without adequate knowledge or access to contraceptives, women face decades of active reproductive life that can lead to more children than they are able to care for economically, physically, or emotionally. That’s where TCI stepped in.
Before TCI began supporting the state’s government in July 2022, Kwara faced a shortage of trained service providers, weak demand for family planning services, and little coordination among healthcare workers. State Health Educator Jubril Abdulkareem shared:
Initially, when we came on board, the major challenge is working together with the family planning providers. They work in silos. But, with the coming of TCI, I think we are now working as a team.”
A community family planning outreach in Kwara State.
TCI introduced proven high-impact interventions that addressed both supply and demand. These included:
- Capacity-building for providers
- In-reach activities
- On-site coaching and whole-site orientation
- Community outreach and demand generation
- Data quality improvement activities
As a result, more local providers are now offering counseling, injectables, implants, and IUDs. They are also conducting community sensitization sessions to dispel misinformation and increase demand for services. All of this has helped reduce abortion rates within the community.
Shukurat Kawu was initially concerned that contraception might interfere with her ability to get pregnant in the future. Now a satisfied family planning client, she shared how these interventions changed her life:
I met one of the social mobilizers when they were mobilizing in my neighborhood, and they explained to me that my fears are not true. And since that time, I have not had any problem.”
TCI’s data-driven approach has also improved health outcomes. The Ministry of Health now routinely analyzes service delivery data to identify gaps, adjust strategies, and enhance accountability. Dr. Ahmed Al-Imam emphasized the importance of data in decision-making:
The most significant change … since we partnered with TCI was in the quality of data that we were generating. We used to have data obtained from our facilities and all of that, but there were certain checks put into place, certain capacity-building activities that were conducted through that partnership that improved the capacity of our staff and, ultimately, the data quality.”
Sustainability has been a key focus for Kwara State. With support from TCI, the Ministry of Health has institutionalized successful practices by including activities like data validation and training in its official budget lines. Capacity building now extends to both LGA officers and health facility staff. TCI’s support of Kwara state has led to more than 25,000 additional family planning clients since July 2022.
Increase in additional family planning clients in Kwara state, from July 2022-June 2025.
TCI also engaged journalists and media professionals to help counter myths and misconceptions about family planning and ensure accurate information reaches every corner of the community. Religious leaders have also been crucial partners in a region where faith and family are deeply intertwined.
Local family planning champion Pastor Oyedele Olushola Matthew spoke about how he brings faith into the discussion:
There’s a passage in the Bible: Luke 14:28. It says, ‘Do you see a man who wants to build a mansion? Such a person must sit down first and plan.’ So…child spacing and family planning is very important to the family.”
As progress continues, Kwara State remains committed to sustaining these interventions. As Dr. Ahmed Al-Imam powerfully stated:
We want every child in Kwara born to be wanted.”
Watch the video to see how Kwara State is transforming reproductive health by expanding access to family planning and empowering communities to make informed choices.
