The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have called for a national emergency on family planning and birth control in the country.
According to the UNFPA, over 20 million women of childbearing age in Nigeria lack access to safe family planning methods, thereby exposing them to the dangers of unwanted pregnancy and its associated complications.
The assistant country representative of UNFPA, Osaretin Adonri, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at an event to mark the 2017 World Population Day.
He recommended family planning and birth spacing as means of reducing maternal mortality and the population of street children in Nigeria.
The country representative of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mairo Mandara also explained that the declaration of a national emergency on family planning would help to reduce crime in the society.
On his part, the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Eze Duruiheoma argued that the country’s population does not matter anymore, but its quality.
The 2017 World Population with the theme: ‘Family Planning, Birth Spacing, Empowering People and Developing Nations’, is targeted at creating awareness on population issues, including the health of women.
Experts at the event noted that as a country with about 3.2% annual growth rate, there is a greater need to deepen the campaign in Nigeria.
