The recent withdrawal of USAID’s funding for family planning in Nigeria has sparked widespread concerns among stakeholders, with stakeholders warning that the country’s reproductive health system is at a critical crossroads.
For years, Nigeria has relied heavily on donor support to sustain its family planning programs, ensuring millions of women have access to contraceptives and reproductive health services. However, that lifeline is rapidly disappearing, leaving the country facing a potential public health crisis.
At the 13th Annual International Conference of the Population Institute of Nigeria, held in Abuja on Monday, stakeholders raised the alarm about the far-reaching implications of the funding cuts.
A panel discussion titled “The Impact of Cuts to Family Planning Funding and Its Implications for Nigeria”, organised by the Development Research and Project Centre (dRPC), highlighted deep concerns over the future of reproductive healthcare in the country.
According to Science Nigeria, the withdrawal of donor funding for family planning in Nigeria is not just a financial setback; it is a looming crisis that could destabilize the entire healthcare system.
For decades, international partners such as USAID have shouldered the costs of contraceptive services, enabling millions of Nigerian women to access family planning services free of charge at public healthcare facilities.
Now, with donor funding drying up, the burden is shifting to the private sector, where out-of-pocket costs for contraceptives and reproductive healthcare services are expected to rise sharply.
Chairman of the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning in Nigeria, Dr. Ejike Oji shared how he received an official letter confirming stakeholders’ worst fears.
“The letter, dated January 20, informed me that USAID would be halting its funding for a key family planning programme, pending a 90-day review.”
He explained that this move is part of a growing trend of international donors pulling out, citing Nigeria’s failure to deliver measurable progress despite years of investment.
“Years ago, during a meeting, a USAID official bluntly asked us: ‘Why should we keep funding you when we are not seeing results?’ Now, they have finally decided to walk away,” he recalled.
Without donor support, contraceptive supplies will dwindle, leading to a surge in unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and increased maternal deaths.
Oji warned that Nigeria’s reproductive health system, already fragile, could collapse under the strain, reversing years of progress in maternal and child health.
“At the heart of the issue is Nigeria’s lack of financial commitment. At the 2012 London Summit, the government pledged $3 million annually for family planning, later increasing it to $4 million under Health Minister Prof. Isaac Adewole. But since 2020, no funds have been released, leaving the sector in crisis.”
With USAID now pulling out, the question remains: “Will Nigeria finally take ownership of its family planning agenda, or will millions of women be left without essential reproductive health services?”
Senior programme officer for the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Foundation (PSNF), Pharm. Ijeoma Nwankwo warned that the impact would be most severe for rural and underserved communities.
“Many patent and proprietary medicine vendors (PPMVs), who serve remote areas, depend on this funding to provide services. With donor cuts, these free services will either shrink or disappear entirely.”
She pointed out that over 60 per cent of Nigerian women access family planning services through private providers, according to the 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).
“More broadly, about 80 per cent of Nigerians seek healthcare first in the private sector. But can this sector handle the increased demand without significant government intervention?”
Without adequate government support, she warned, an increased reliance on private providers could spell disaster for millions of Nigerian women.
“Regulatory oversight is weak, and data from private facilities remains chaotic. If 80 per cent of Nigerians rely on private providers and the government isn’t funding regulators like the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, what happens next? Are we leaving the healthcare of millions to chance?”
One possible solution, Nwankwo suggested, is integrating family planning into Nigeria’s health insurance schemes.
“Lagos State, with its relatively robust insurance program (LASHMA), is already exploring ways to cover family planning services. If successful, this model could be replicated nationwide.”
She also emphasised the role of technology in bridging the gap: “We need to harness digital solutions – whether it’s using drones to deliver contraceptives to remote areas or expanding online consultations through WhatsApp and websites.”
As Nigeria navigates the fallout from donor funding cuts, a community advocate, Dr. Stanley Ilechukwu urged a strategic shift in investment, prioritising state and community-level funding over-dependence on federal allocations or international donors.
One proposed solution, he said, is investing at least one million naira per primary healthcare centre (PHC) to strengthen their capacity to provide essential reproductive health services.
“This level of investment would go a long way in sustaining family planning services at PHCs.”
He stressed that community-based organisations must shift their focus away from federal-level advocacy and, instead, build resilience at local levels, ensuring states and communities take ownership of their healthcare systems.
“The next five years should be about strengthening state and local funding structures. If we build this capacity now, we can gradually reduce dependence on international funding and sustain these interventions ourselves.”
Director of projects at dRPC, Dr. Stanley Ukpai called for a fundamental shift in strategy.
“Our advocacy messaging has to change. Now that we are in a crisis, we need bold and urgent solutions.”
He stressed that the government must step up through improved health financing, stronger regulatory frameworks and leveraging technology to maintain accessibility of family planning services.
Without immediate intervention, Ukpai warned, millions of Nigerian women may lose access to reproductive healthcare, further worsening the country’s maternal health crisis.
With USAID’s exit, Nigeria’s family planning sector stands at a defining moment. Stakeholders agree that government commitment, state-level investment, and innovative solutions are critical to ensuring that millions of Nigerian women continue to access essential reproductive health services.
The question now is whether Nigeria will rise to the challenge – or allow decades of progress to unravel.
