One-day advocacy training workshop for selected journalists in Benin City

By Jethro Ibileke 

A reproductive health expert, Akin Jimoh, has called for increased state-level funding for reproductive health services to reduce dependency on external donors.

He also called for the integration of family planning into primary healthcare services to ensure accessibility at all levels.

He gave the call on Thursday, at a one-day advocacy training workshop for selected journalists in Benin City, with the theme: Media Sensitization for Improved Family Planning Advocacy and Ownership in Edo State.

The training was conducted by Development Communications Network (DevComs), in collaboration with The Challenge Initiative (TCI) and the State Ministry of Health.

Speaking on the subject: “Family Planning in Edo State: Sustaining Progress Through Local Resources and Media Advocacy”, via zoom, Akin Jimoh who is the Executive Director of DevComs, noted that family planning is not just a health intervention; but an investment in the well-being of the people and the economic future of the State.

According to him, when families can plan their pregnancies, maternal and child health improves, economic burdens reduce, and communities become more resilient.

“However, to ensure that the progress we have made is sustained, we must move beyond donor-driven support and strengthen our family planning programs with local resources, community ownership, and innovative financing mechanisms,” he said.

To sustain family planning gains, the DevComs boss called for increase state-level funding for reproductive health services to reduce dependency on external donors, sustain integration of family planning into primary healthcare services to ensure accessibility at all levels, strengthen community-based distribution of contraceptives through trained health volunteers and empower traditional and religious leaders to champion family planning as a tool for economic and social stability.

He outlined the role of the media in sustaining family planning advocacy to include, but not limited to, continuous public awareness, policy engagement, and accountability.

“The media remains a critical force in ensuring that family planning remains a priority for policymakers, healthcare providers, and the general public.

“To ensure sustainability, we urge the media to continue to track and report on family planning budgets and policy commitments; advocate for local funding and accountability in family planning programs; educate the public on the economic benefits of family planning beyond health and leveraging digital and community radio platforms to reach rural populations with family planning messages,” he said.

Jimoh commended the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and media institutions for their role in promoting health awareness, debunking myths, and engaging key decision-makers on family planning.

“However, we must deepen our efforts to ensure that family planning is not just a campaign topic but a consistent agenda item in public discourse,” he added.

Also speaking on “Overview of media sensitization for improved family planning advocacy and ownership in Edo State”, DevComs Media Engagement Officer Olumayowa Adeniran noted that the objective of the training was to drive awareness, strengthen local advocacy efforts and create sustainable demand for family planning through media-driven interventions.

The Coordinator of Reproductive Health, Edo State Ministry of Health, Mrs Adja Abieyuwa, who spoke on the subject of addressing persistent myths or misconceptions of family planning, harped on the need for advocacy for family planning challenges to ensure increased uptake and reduction of maternal and child mortality.

Earlier in her opening remarks, the State Programme Manager of TCI, Mrs. Nkodya Nwanne, noted that family planning focuses more on women because they bear the brunt of child-bearing.

She urged adolescents and young persons to recognize and know their family planning needs.