The United Nations Population Fund envisions Nigeria recording about 700,00 unwanted pregnancies in the year 2023. The government body says the challenge of not funding family planning in the country may lead to the cause.
The statement was made during an event held in Abuja on Tuesday to commemorate World Population Day 2023, organized by the National Population Commission.
Dr. Adeela Khan, the Technical Specialist for Maternal and Reproductive Health at the UNDP, highlighted during a panel discussion titled “Dialogue on Financing and Investment in Family Planning: Meeting the Growing Demand of Nigerian Women” that the funding gap for family planning is expanding. She mentioned that the gap has grown from $25 million last year to $32 million in 2023. The discussion took place at an event organized by the National Population Commission in Abuja.
According to her, this funding gap would lead to 700,000 unintended pregnancies, which would further lead to 300,000 unplanned births and 300,000 unsafe abortions.
She said, “Family planning programme is largely dependent on funding, and that is dwindling funding. As far as 2022, there was a gap of $25m. This year, we are looking at a gap of $32m. What is very important about this gap is that if you are casting it, there will be 700,000 unintended pregnancies, which will result in approximately 300,000 unplanned births and 300,000 unsafe abortions.”
In contrast, Dr. Khan acknowledged that the government has been taking steps to address the issue. She pointed out that efforts have been made through the implementation of policies like the National Policy for Population and Sustainable Development in 2022. Additionally, the government has shown financial commitment to ensuring access to family planning services.
