Global family planning body launches West African office in Nigeria

Global family planning body, Family Planning 2030 has  launched its West African office in Abuja, Nigeria.

The FP2030 Executive Director, Dr. Samukeliso Dube and Harriet Birungi, Population Council’s Vice President of International Programmes, formally launched the new hub in a video announcement on Tuesday in Abuja.

The announcement also outlined the vision for the new hub’s work on family planning in Africa.

Dube said that the newly created Abuja-based hub would be hosted by Population Council Nigeria and would serve as the office for North, West and Central Africa.

He said, “We are accelerating progress that ensures that our efforts are country-led and remain globally connected, while building on the strengths and successes of FP2020. We know that with Population Council Nigeria as our host partner, we are very well placed to succeed.”

He noted that the council had been working with the federal government and health organisations for more than five decades.

Dube said, “Population Council Nigeria is dedicated to meeting the needs of populations at risk, including adolescent girls and young women and promoting access to high-quality sexual and reproductive health, maternal health and family planning services.

“FP2030’s North, West and Central African Hub, is one of the four new hubs to be launched this year, in addition to the existing North America and European Hub.

“A second Africa hub has also been launched in Nairobi, Kenya, and will work to strengthen family planning access and sexual and reproductive health and rights in East and Southern Africa.”

The executive director said the North, West and Central African regional hub wound cover 30 countries in the region.

He explained that like the other regional hubs, it would include staff expertise, in-country engagement, youth partnerships, advocacy and accountability, high-impact family planning practices, as well as fundraising and communications.

“It will provide support to FP2030 partners in the region with regards to developing their FP2030 commitments.

“It will also give technical support in specific topical areas across the advocacy spectrum, notably with regards to the needs of youths, humanitarian crisis services and preparation, and health integration.

“It is our goal to foster a truly country-led commitment process not only by ensuring countries set their own goals, but also to facilitate better and consistent connections.”

Dube further said that the connection would be with other FP2030 partners in the region and would create stronger programmes and accountability.

According to him, regional hubs put countries and regional partners in the driver’s seat for agenda setting, monitoring progress and collaboration.

Madame Marie Ba, the executive director, Ouagadougou Partnership Coordinating Unit, applauded the launch of the new FP2030 hub in West Africa.

She said, “FP2030 and the OPCU have had a long and collaborative partnership, building stronger family planning network in Africa.”

Ba maintained that having an FP2030 office in Abuja would strengthen collaboration and galvanise coordination among partners across the region.

This, according to her, has been one of the longstanding roles of FP2030, but expects these networks to become stronger with the regional hub office support.

She said that the ultimate aim was to connect these stronger regional networks to a global movement for family planning.