The Balanced Stewardship Development Association (BALSDA) in collaboration with the Ekiti State Ministry of Health developed a Family Planning Costed Implementation Plan (CIP) for 3 fiscal years (2019-2021). CIP is aimed at expanding access to family INCREASING ACCESS TO FAMILY PLANNING COMMODITIES AND SERVICES THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF COSTED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IN EKITI STATE
commodities and services in the state to reduce maternal and child mortality.

Bothered by the poor family planning indices nationally, Nigerian government commits to increase CPR to achieve 27% increase from the initial 15% by 2020 and reduce fertility rate by at least 0.6 children every five years. To achieve this, the federal government developed a Comprehensive and Costed Blueprint for National Family Planning (Scale Up 2014 – 2018). This was recommended for adoption by all states in the country. Despite the recommendation, some states including Ekiti State are yet to adopt and develop the CIP so that the women will have access to FP commodities and services.

The project implementation began in November 2017 with a Stakeholders’ workshop with the objectives to facilitate government and CSOs-led, but state-owned, costed implementation plan that will serves as a roadmap for family planning, generate and broaden the understanding of stakeholders on the rationale for CIP (i.e., establish “why” and “what” of the CIP), inaugurate CIP development committee who will work on the FP blueprint and costed implementation plan for the state, get stakeholders agreement on purpose and direction of the CIP, including commitment of financial, human and other resources. The established CIP Development Committee comprised of the ministry officials, representatives from the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Ministries of Finance, Bureau of Statistics, Women Affairs and Social Development as well as Civil Society Organizations working in the state. The committee held several meetings with the appointed consultant and provided relevant information needed to produce the final document.

It is expected that the CIP document will guide the Ekiti State Government on what is needed to fund FP and back it up with the creation of budget line for FP to facilitate the operation of the plan in the state.

This development process which lasted for a period of 12 months (September 2017- August, 2018) was funded by Population Action International (PAI) with technical support from Pathfinder International.