The Federal Government has announced plans to begin producing family planning commodities in Nigeria through a partnership involving Bayer Pharmaceuticals and a local manufacturer.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad Ali Pate said the proposed facility would be located in Anambra State and would be the first of its kind in Nigeria and, according to the government, one of the first in sub Saharan Africa.
Pate disclosed the plan at the inauguration of the Nigeria Inter Ministerial Platform on Family Planning, Health, Human Capital and National Development in Abuja.
He said domestic production would reduce dependence on imported reproductive health products, create jobs and strengthen the pharmaceutical value chain.
The minister linked the initiative to the government’s wider objective of improving human capital by helping families make informed reproductive health choices.
He said Nigeria’s large population could become a major economic asset if supported by better health, education and productivity.
Coordinating Minister of Finance and Economy Taiwo Oyedele said family planning should be viewed not only as a health intervention but also as an investment in economic resilience and human development.
He said access to reproductive health services could improve maternal and child health, educational outcomes, productivity and community wellbeing.
Officials from FP2030 and the National Population Commission also highlighted Nigeria’s importance to family planning outcomes across West and Central Africa.
