Towards averting the looming public health crisis due to funding gaps, stakeholders have called for equitable access to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services for adolescents.

Adolescents have continued to face significant challenges accessing quality health services, from limited access to contraceptives and stigma to inadequate sexual education and youth-unfriendly healthcare systems.

They disclosed that the recent cuts on Official Development Assistance (ODA) and federal funding for family planning are impacting Nigeria’s already fragile SRH services.

Already, the federal government has slashed its commitment in that area by 97 per cent, dropping the budget from N2.2 billion in 2024 to N66 million in 2025, while there is zero allocation for contraceptive commodities.

According to forecasts, if the yearly funding gap for contraceptive commodities that currently stands at N6 billion – N8 billion is not addressed, national stock levels are expected to be exhausted by late 2025, putting service delivery at risk in more than 15,000 primary healthcare (PHC) facilities.

Director of the Department of Family Health, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Binyerem Ukaire, who stated this at the National Policy Dialogue organised by the Nigeria Health Watch, themed, “Improving Adolescent Access to Quality Sexual and Reproductive Health Services” in Abuja, said that though the government and international partners have made commitments, family planning remains underfunded relative to the scale of need.

She revealed that Nigeria is exploring innovative financing mechanisms, including domestic resource mobilisation, to ensure sustainability beyond donor cycles.

Ukaire observed that frequent stock-outs of contraceptive commodities have been a significant barrier to consistent service delivery, stressing that by leveraging technology and improving logistics, the government will ensure that contraceptives are reliably available where they are needed, especially at the last mile.

She stated that shortages in the health workforce and capacity constraints limit the quality and reach of services, pointing out that many healthcare providers require additional training, particularly in youth-friendly approaches and the provision of long-acting contraceptives.

Ukaire reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving access to affordable, high-quality, rights-based, sexual and reproductive healthcare, particularly through equitable family planning services and meeting the 2030 SDG target. She said that investments in both pre-service and in-service training, alongside supportive supervision, are priorities.

She argued that family planning is more than a health intervention as it is a driver of economic growth, education, gender equality, and social transformation, which empowers individuals, strengthens families, and builds resilient societies.

According to her, the gaps in reproductive health impact manifest as disparities in access to family planning information and services, resulting in inequities in health outcomes, adding that these gaps are often due to barriers shaped by economic, socio-cultural and religious factors, geographic factors, funding and human resource challenges.

Ukaire observed that such disparities continue to hinder the health, well-being, and economic potential of millions of Nigerians. The Director disclosed that the health sector plans to open new frontiers to improve access to family planning services by leveraging technology, digital health platforms and tools to scale up service delivery, offer remote information and counselling, use mobile clinics to reach underserved areas, and public-private partnerships to scale up service delivery.

Ukaire emphasised that government’s priority is strengthening the delivery of integrated, high-quality family planning services across all levels of the healthcare system structure and integrate family planning into maternal and child health services, HIV/AIDS programmes, primary healthcare and to reach communities through selfcare services, maximise reach coverage, and provide space for development work.

She noted that the ministry is addressing social and behavioural communication strategies, engaging communities and the gatekeepers as catalysts and champions for change, as well as working with traditional rulers and religious leaders to foster supportive social norms, dispel myths, and promote the benefits of family planning.

The Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, Mrs Vivienne Ihekweazu, said the aim of this dialogue is to deliberate on ways to improve access, demand, and availability of SRH commodities, particularly modern family planning methods.

She lamented that sexual and reproductive health services in the country are facing low funding, poor integration of services, stockouts, weak political will, and fragmented coordination.

Ihekweazu stated that the country is currently experiencing increased challenges as a result of the U.S. funding cuts and decline in donor assistance, urging federal and state governments to take responsibility for funding sexual health rights and services.

She said: “Without resources, policies remain promises. Without commodities, services become empty and without accountability, the most vulnerable young people, rural women, those already left behind will bear the heaviest cost.”

Ihekweazu highlighted the need to mobilise stakeholders’ commitment towards delivering sustainable, high-impact results in adolescent reproductive health at both national and subnational levels.

Also speaking, the Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwatomi Coker, said that the state is leveraging domestic resources and donor support to sustain family planning programmes. She said the state has established a dedicated budget for family planning, which has been integrated into the yearly operational plan, and is utilising the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF)

According to her, the state is exploring private sector engagement and philanthropic support to expand access to family planning services. On his part, Assistant Director, Education for Health and Wellbeing, Federal Ministry of Education, Ghali Talle, said the ministry is mainstreaming health services in schools to ensure young people have access to accurate information on sexual and reproductive health care and protection.