Kwara state in Nigeria increased its family planning budget by 90%, from US$ 10,500 (2.1 million Naira) in 2015 to US$ 20,000 (4 million Naira) in 2016. The Kwara State House of Assembly approved the budget on April 7, 2016.
This significant increase resulted from the Kwara state advocacy working group’s strategic use of a costed implementation plan. In February 2016, Advocacy Core Group Nigeria (ACGN), with support from Pathfinder International finalized the state costed implementation plan (CIP) for family planning. The Kwara CIP was based on the National Family Planning Blueprint that articulates each state’s contribution to the national target of achieving a contraceptive prevalence rate of 36% by 2018.
Advocates met and discussed the need for increasing the state family planning budget, using the CIP as evidence. The ACGN worked with the State Ministry of Health and other advocacy partners to hold a series of meetings with the Kwara State Commissioners for Health and Budget/Planning, and subsequently the members of the State House of Assembly. The ACGN supported the Family Planning Unit of the State Ministry of Health to jointly review activities for inclusion into the draft health budget.
The funds will support the training, monitoring, and supportive supervision of family planning service providers.