By Lizzy Carr
The Bauchi State Government has expanded its family planning service delivery points from 610 to 713 facilities, strengthening access for women of reproductive age across the state.
The Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Sani Mohammed Dambam, announced the expansion during the handover ceremony of new family planning commodities donated through the UNFPA/CIFF grant. The event was held at the Central Medical Stores in Bauchi.
Represented by the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, the commissioner said the expanded service points will enable more women to safely space their births and reduce the risks associated with maternal health complications. He added that the high demand for family planning in the state makes the new supplies especially timely, as they will alleviate persistent stockouts across many facilities.
“With these supplies, couples will have better access to family planning services, and this will help address the recurring problem of stockouts,” he noted.
Dr. Dambam expressed appreciation to UNFPA for its continued partnership in reducing maternal mortality and ensuring that reproductive health services reach even remote communities. He also highlighted the agency’s critical role in last-mile distribution of commodities.
He described the recent gaps in commodity availability—following USAID’s withdrawal—as a wake-up call for Bauchi to strengthen local leadership and sustainability in family planning financing.
UNFPA and CIFF handed over 138,072 doses of Sayana Press and 10,908 units of Implanon NXT as part of a procurement initiative funded by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) to reinforce reproductive health supply chains across Nigeria.
Speaking on behalf of the UNFPA Country Representative, Ms. Muriel Mafico, the Gender/Reproductive Health Analyst and Bauchi Programme Officer, Deborah Tabara, recalled that UNFPA had also delivered state-funded family planning commodities in July 2025 following Bauchi’s adoption of the National Guidelines for State-Funded Procurement of FP Commodities launched by Governor Bala Mohammed in 2023.
UNFPA and CIFF recently signed an 18-month (2025–2026) agreement to procure additional quality-assured family planning commodities for seven priority states, including Bauchi. The initiative aims to reduce unmet family planning needs, support demographic transition, and increase domestic investment in reproductive health.
The agency commended Bauchi for its commitment to achieving UNFPA’s three transformative goals: ending unmet need for family planning, ending preventable maternal deaths, and eliminating gender-based violence and harmful practices.
Bauchi’s Reproductive Health Profile
With a population exceeding 9.2 million, Bauchi State continues to record significant reproductive health challenges. According to the 2023–24 NDHS:
Total fertility rate: 6.2 children per woman
Unmet need for family planning: 22.2%
Modern contraceptive prevalence (mCPR): 10.6%
Average stockout rate (past year): 49%
These indicators underscore the importance of sustained investment and targeted interventions.
Safe Storage and Distribution
The Managing Director of the Drugs and Medical Consumables Management Agency, Abdulkadir Ahmed, assured that the newly supplied commodities will be safely stored and delivered to the intended beneficiaries. He added that UNFPA also supported the agency in assessing Bauchi’s family planning commodity requirements for 2026–2028.
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