By Ismail Auwal
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Representative in Nigeria, Ulla Mueller said that the country has a 15.1% unmet need for family planning.
Mueller disclosed this in Abuja at NAN Forum, the News Agency of Nigeria’s flagship interview program (NAN).
According to her, 15.1% of Nigerian women and girls who want to use family planning services are unable to do so.
“In Nigeria, we have a 15.1 percent unmet need.” That is, 15.1% of women between the ages of 15 and 40 want to use contraception but are unable to do so.
“In numbers, that’s about four million women who want it right now as you and I sit, who want to access contraception but can’t,” she explained.
Mueller stated that UNFPA needed to work more closely with development partners to ensure commodity security.
According to her, UNFPA is supporting a national commodity basket with a focus on ensuring availability.
She went on to say that the emphasis is on ensuring that the supply chain works in both short and long terms.
“That is one of the most important things that women need to have access to.”
“So if they access services, they can actually get the method of choice. We are also working to build capacity of healthcare workers,” she said.
She also said Nigeria’s Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (MCPR) and Traditional Contraceptives Prevalence Rate (TCPR), which stood at 12 per cent and 17 per cent respectively, were very low and a major concern to UNFPA.
Mueller, who called for advocacy for more women’s access to family planning commodity basket, however, congratulated many of the states on their access.
‘We also have more and more states now using the basket. so I think some of the achievements are really the FP 20 commitment.
“It is really accessibility, availability and informing women that they have a right to choice,” she said.
(NAN)