By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko
Oyo State has pledged to sustain and scale family planning services after the Research on Scale-up of the Hormonal IUD in New and Emerging Markets (SHINE) Project dissemination in Ibadan on Friday.
Dr Muideen Olatunji, the Executive Secretary (ES), Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board (OYOPHCB), made the assertion during the SHINE dissemination meeting in Ibadan.
The programme was organised by the Oyo State Ministry of Health in collaboration with Society for Family Health (SFH) Nigeria and partners to disseminate findings of the project in the state.
Olatunji said the project closeout did not end ownership and the state must keep leading and supporting the programme.
He said Oyo had the human capital to run any system and stressed ongoing training as new officers joined with staff spreading across LGAs.
Olatunji noted that reduced donor support forced the state to rethink sustainability and invest directly, starting with paying for family planning commodities worth about N48 million.
Acclrding to him, the state intends to invest more, showing commitment beyond words, and urging findings to drive policy, implementation, and action.
“The key takeaway needed from this dissemination is not just feedback, but how the findings can affect policy, push implementation forward and be acted on,” he said.
Dr Tunde Aremu, Permanent Secretary Ibadan Health Office 1, highlighted Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio at 1,047 per 100,000 live births, compared to countries like Sweden at 5 to 7 deaths per 100,000 live birth.
He emphasised that family planning was the first pillar of safe motherhood, saying preventing unplanned pregnancies saved lives.
“Opportunities to discuss family planning, service provision, acceptance and use are critical; because a woman cannot die from a pregnancy she didn’t have,” he said.
Aremu commended the state for maintaining its pace-setting role and supported pushing SHINE findings toward implementation.
Earlier, on behalf of SFH Management, Mrs Jane Adizue, Assistant Practice Lead, SFH Nigeria, thanked government, partners, researchers, health workers, community leaders, and the press.
She noted that SFH and partners collectively expanded access to quality healthcare services and improved health outcomes for thousands of Nigerians.
She said SHINE was designed to deliver services and generate evidence to shape family planning programming in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.
Adizue highlighted SFH’s track record with Oyo on family planning, malaria, maternal and child health, adolescent health, and PHC strengthening.
According to her, SHINE has shown that success depends on provider readiness, client acceptability, community support, and health system capacity, not just commodities.
Adizue called Oyo’s funding of Hormonal IUD training for over 300 healthcare workers across all LGAs unprecedented in Nigeria.
She said it was a model for other states and true sustainability through direct investment in human resources and system strengthening.
Participants at the meeting emphasised sustained collaboration among government, partners, providers, and donors to translate SHINE evidence into policy and expanded access.
They called for more Hormonal IUD sites, reliable commodity supply, and action on transport, distance, and out-of-pocket costs.
Strengthening community mobilisation and routine health education was also highlighted to improve awareness and uptake.
SFH reaffirmed commitment to supporting evidence-based interventions and partnerships that improve health outcomes for women, families, and communities across Nigeria. (NAN)www.nannews.ng
Edited by Vivian Ihechu
