Mayowa ADENIRAN —
A media advocacy group, Media Advocacy Working Group for Family Planning (MAWG), has advocated for prompt and frequent reportage of issues surrounding family planning in the Nigeria.
MAWG works in promoting a balanced family life as part of efforts to nation building.
The group founded in January 2018 on the heels of a 2-phased Advanced Family Planning (AFP) Media Advocacy Workshop in Lagos, supported by Pathfinder International (Nigeria), Lagos State Ministry of Health, alongside other partners to galvanise support for the promotion of quality family life.
The group in its latest update on issues of family planning in Nigeria and around the world acknowledged that Nigerian Government is committed to increase the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) from 15 percent to 27 percent by 2020..
It acknowledged that Nigerian Government is committed to increasing the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) from 15 percent to 27 percent by 2020.
Meanwhile, the Chief Operating Officer, Leadership Newspapers, Mr Dele Fanimo, has called on Traditional, Religious and political leaders to help demystify the myths and misconceptions surrounding Family Planning (FP) in Nigeria.
Fanimo, who made this call at an advocacy meeting visit by the Family Planning Media Advocacy Working Group (MAWG) to Leadership Lagos Office, regretted the recent staggering figure of the Nigerian population, describing it as a time bomb.
He said, “The Nigerian population is 198 million and this figure has an implication on the country in all aspects of the economy. A quarter of this population is almost twice the population of the Republic of Benin. The centre of this is uncontrolled birth.”
The COO said the implication of the Nigerian huge population can lead to increase in crime and prostitution, adding that with social dislocation, what a country gets is underdevelopment and a failed nation.
He, however, urged the MAWG to see beyond newspaper publications but go to the rural communities, community leaders and other stakeholders to sensitize them on the importance of FP, they in turn will now be an advocate of FP.
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