Women in Jigawa State have called on the government to improve the supply of family planning commodities to ensure greater access to free and quality reproductive health services.
Several women shared their challenges with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in commemoration of the 2025 Safe Motherhood Day, highlighting the lack of essential commodities as a major obstacle.
Zaliha Usman, 25, said she learned about family planning during her antenatal visits and, with her husband’s support, decided to start using the services. However, despite their efforts over the past five months to access the service at multiple health facilities in Dutse, they were repeatedly told that commodities were unavailable.
Similarly, Madaniya Habibu, 26, a mother of five, expressed the need to space her children for better care. She lamented being asked to purchase commodities before receiving the service, which had previously been free. “We are pleading with the government to make these commodities available again at no cost,” she urged.
Amina Adamu, a service provider at Limanchi Primary Healthcare, confirmed the high demand for family planning services, noting that many women come seeking free care. “We advise them to buy the commodities and then receive the service, but they often complain, saying the government used to provide these items for free,” she explained.
She also pointed out that more men in rural communities are now supporting their wives’ decision to use family planning, particularly due to the economic downturn, yet they still depend entirely on free commodities.
Ankale Kongude, Programme Manager of The Challenge Initiative (TCI) in Jigawa, stated that the core issue affecting family planning in the state is the procurement of commodities. He noted that the last government purchase was made in 2022, despite budget allocations in both 2023 and 2024.
Kongude emphasized that TCI’s focus is on building a sustainable, efficient, and self-reliant system. He urged the state government to sustain the initiative once TCI phases out, in order to maintain quality health services for women and children.
Uwani Abdullahi, coordinator of the local community-based group Matan Karkara, also advocated for stronger support for women in accessing family planning. She stressed that many women with large families struggle to raise their children properly, and need time and support to care for them before having more.
She appealed to the government to reinforce and maintain free family planning services, describing them as vital to the future well-being of families and communities.
NAN reported that attempts to obtain a response from the state government on the matter were unsuccessful.
National Safe Motherhood Day, observed every April 11, aims to raise awareness about the dangers women face during pregnancy and childbirth. The initiative, launched by the United Nations in 1987, ties into global efforts to reduce maternal mortality, including those in the Millennium Development Goals (2000–2015).